DeathPlay: the royal scandals
by BLSUGS30
Summary: “Reclaim the last of the first...“ In a court where the slightest offense could trigger treason, they sought out to immerse themselves in the biggest scandals the country had ever seen. And a demon awakes. SasuHina, NaruHina, ItaHina
1. Ksingard, land of the lost

**DEATHPLAY: the royal scandals**

**CH 1- Start of the end**

**(Session#1- Ksingard, land of the lost)**

* * *

**(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Royal Palace Gardens)**

A lithe figure in white was sitting on the edge of the marble terrace, a scroll open on her lap, her legs dangling over to the empty sky. Her black bangs sweep over her face gracefully as she raised her head to catch a look at a stray bird that had landed on the patio, fluttering its wings.

Pretty, but quite ordinary, mundane.

But Hyugaa Hinata, nevertheless, was mesmerized by the fragile creature, which was capable of flight—the ultimate freedom. Unlike her. She might have been decked out in silk and semiprecious stones, she might have been the daughter of the first general of Ksingard, but she had no power or freedom whatsoever. That in itself held a complicated relief, one in which she was satisfied with being unnoticed and left alone to float by reading and contemplating life. On the other hand, she was stumped. She was just another girl, unable to change the world to her liking—unlike the men around her who molded theirs to their whims.

Amidst her daydreaming, she did not notice her book slipping out of her hands and falling downwards… and hitting the person that had just been passing by. Hard.

The book thumped the head of a young man with soot black hair mercilessly, stopping him in mid-gait. Having used up its force of gravity, it landed on the mushy side of the garden, crushing the petunias.

'…oh no.'

Hinata looked down, and immediately stiffened in dismay. She flushed with full force as she realized whose head she had hit with her book.

This had to be her unlucky day.

"Your majesty…"

The man looked up, and a flash of cold went through her spine. Two separate pools of coal black eyes met hers, completely void of emotion and lacking humanity—or at least, it seemed to her that is.

Uchiha, Sasuke. The.

Her stuttering settled in with full throttle.

"I, I'm. Sorry, I didn't… I didn't realize th..."

"…the book. "

"…h…huh? "

The man bent down and picked up the book from the bog, shaking it a few times to get the dirt off. He looked up again with a slow scowl.

"What are you? History books are forbidden to most women at court. What is your status? "

"I…I'm… "

She meant to tell him the truth, that she was the first daughter of a general in the royal army… but what came out of her mouth was something completely different—a lie. She felt herself mouth moving in its own accord, fabricating innocence, bind by its momentum.

"Please…I'm…so sorry. I…I only wanted to see what it was like…to read…history scrolls. "

Truthfully speaking, she read them everyday. But.

The bird on the terrace suddenly took flight; a small disturbance amidst the unlikely conflict that was at hand.

"…so you're nothing special? Not the daughter of a court official or anything? "

"…no. Just a servant. "

He looked skeptical.

His eyes swept over her lush robes of pure snow white, and her white skin, the jade pendant clasped at her willowy neck. He felt like telling the girl to go spin another one at someone semi-retarded enough to believe the lie. But he did not contradict her. He merely shook his head once, his left hand clamped over the corner of the book.

"…then you should, get to work. "

"y…yes! "

"And return this thing. Before anyone else catches you. Here, catch. "

The prince cocked back his hand and threw nimbly the book up at her, his aim perfect. The book flew right up into her hands. Hinata swiftly stood up and caught the book, aghast at the lie she had just told the prince. What was she thinking? She was not some kid who might be granted mercy for spinning a few tales once in every while—and to a temper prone prince to boot. What if he sees her again, but accompanied by her father and servants?

"And one last thing. "

"…y…yes? "

"Don't call me your majesty. That's my brother. You could get hanged for treason by that. "

His tone was acidic at best. Turning and walking away, his back looked strangely hostile and lonely, his raven head raised up to the sky. He could have been going anywhere.

He was the prince of Ksingard, one of the most prosperous kingdoms in the world. But. Hinata lowered her eyes, her hands clasped around her book. He can never be accepted into the fold. Born under wedlock, he was the only child of a notorious concubine. As long as her reputation clung to his hems, he'd never be the rightful heir. He'll have to follow his brother's step for the rest of his life, head lowered, as if he was a prisoner instead of a prince in his rightful place.

Hinata sighed, as if she understood. She was not too sure she entirely understood the stroke of melancholy antagonism the prince wore as armor. On second thought, she wasn't sure if she understood.

The sun was setting.

* * *

**(West of Ksingard, Readen woods, northeast)**

Two panting figures were trudging up the trails of Readen, one with a crooked wooden staff and the other barely visible behind a tower of sacks.

One was an elderly man with a bush of white hair; the other was a blonde young man with messy spiky hair. They both donned the clothes of the temple Regalus, one with the deep indigo robes of a priest, and the other, the lighter fawn color of an apprentice.

The older man spoke up, eyes closed and face turned up to the heavens in rapture:

"You fucking got to be kidding my holy ass…"

"…Jiraiya! Eh, sir! That is 'not' the way a holy man talks! "

The apprentice piped at the man called Jiraiya with the impertinence not unlike a six year old harbored towards his older perverted brother. There wasn't much of any respect or courtesy lingering between the accusing words.

"Well who're you to talk? It's death-march here. Besides, you're my assistant aren'tcha? Say, what was your name again? Abdullah? "

"…for the hundredth gazillion time! It's Naruto! Uzumaki Naruto! "

"Ahhhh, yes, Abdullah. "

Naruto cringed, his head half shadowed by the heavy bundles in his arms.

"Man, Geez… I seriously wish you'd stop the booze. You're drunk now, aren't you? "

"That is no way to talk to an elder! I'm the great demon-catcher priest from Arudan! "

Naruto skeptically looked over at his 'sensei', who looked quite a bit ridiculous with the robes half riding up his thick calves, and his nose red from drinking too much sake. He doubted the demons would come close enough for the man to actually catch them—too much stink.

"…huh, who has a penchant for looking at naked girls and drinking too much? And would you please wash? If you're not gonna help me with these sacks, please grant me fresh air for god's sak…"

"Ah, I shouldn't have taken an assistant, I shouldn'tve. Pipe down, Abduallah. "

"Naruto! NOT Abdullah! "

The shout sent birds flying from treetops, but Jiraiya himself did not budge. Instead, he set about looking for a nice tree stump to sit on.

"Eh… what are you doing…sir? "

"Looking for a tree stump. "

"…we're going to rest here? "

"Sure, sure… we'll reach Ksingard in a few… few, hours or so. "

"Finally! "

Naruto unceremoniously dumped all the bundles onto the ground. Jiraiya crinkled his nose, sniffing at the air of dust that had risen up when Naruto chucked his armload of sacks. But he didn't bother criticizing his poor assistant, who was true to his very word—Naruto had indeed been the one to carry their entire load all the way.

Sitting down, they chatted.

"You know, I sometimes worry about this country, I do. "

"Huh, you 'worry'…? And not about the next dose of sake or where to get girls? Now, that's something new… sir. "

Jiraiya ignored the talk of sake and girls.

"You ever heard about the king of this country, Naruto? "

"Uh, nope. "

"What about the history of Ksingard? You certainly know 'that', I taught you myself! … Unless, you had been, sleeping, at that moment. "

Naruto grinned widely, feigning innocence.

"….precisely? Hehe, can you repeat it once more? "

Jiraiya had the grace to look stumped at the lack of his assistant's interest, but since he knew how short Naruto's attention span was, he decided to forgive and forget. It wasn't everyday Jiraiya dished out mercy, though.

"…hmph. Well. There was a huge scandal in Ksingard; a few decades back… the former king took in a concubine from the streets, abandoning his former wife. "

"Hey, I know that! It was wild in the towns for a while; they were all laughing at the f… "

"Shush it now; I'm the one teaching, aren't I? "

Naruto sulked at the interruption, but he held his tongue. Keeping peace with Jiraiya was the only way he'd get to learn 'proper' demon-slaying.

And finally end whatever was plaguing him since the day of his birth, even though Jiraiya did not seem to notice anything, yet. Naruto absent mindedly slid his hand alongside the nape of his neck.

"Anyways, the impact of the scandal was … least to say, huge. The entire population of Ksingard was aghast at their beloved king's rendezvous with a cheap whore from the streets. Well. People were having riots, because, you see, the former queen was still alive, and she even had a son. So no one could see why the king had strayed… he was rumored to have absolute faith, sir loyal heart to his wife…"

Naruto fanned the back of his head with a broken fan as he looked up at his sensei.

"Oi oi, sir. What's all the big deal? Couldn't the king just have been achin' for new skin? I mean, sir loyal heart to one woman for a decade… and him being the king to boot. "

"Huh. I don't 'disagree', but, taking a street whore as a concubine? Men sleep with whores, not make them second wives. "

"…maybe the king was on hallucinatory drugs? "

Jiraiya wisely chose yet again to ignore his assistant's quips.

"Besides, there are all these rules, Abdullah, about court life. There has to be some measure of dignity, and a whole lot of image training. God knows how much scorn and ridicule Ksingard had withstood after the news had spread… that element of shame is still present in the country itself, so don't ya go dare aggravate anyone about this matter… they're ashamed of that prince, the bastard child, and shame tends to bring quick anger… especially when there's the matter of the country's reputation at hand. "

"Eh…I think I get it. But would you please 'stop' calling me Abdullah? "

"What? Oh, oh that. Yes, what was your name again? "

"Argh, goddamn you sir! "

They rose, still bickering and covered in dust from the roads, and resumed their journey. In their hurry to reach the city before nightfall, they did not notice that a small red package had fallen from the bundles and had rolled down to the side, next to the tree stump Jiraiya had been sitting on.

It was still a long road to Ksingard's main city.

* * *

**(Central City of Ksingard, Royal Palace Dome, main halls )**

"Your majesty! "

A wiry figure decked out in court robes ran to catch up with the young lean figure strolling the halls. Shying away from his duties again—Hidan grumbled in his mind. The man finally stopped walking and Hidan caught up with him, bending down on his knees as soon as the man turned. It was more of a perfunctory gesture to one borne out of genuine respect.

He opened his mouth to speak but the young man raised his left hand lazily, eyes holding suppressed ennui, expression placid.

"…if it's about the kid again, don't bother. "

"…I…but. "

"You heard me. "

Hidan scowled, but with his head bent down, face hidden carefully by his hair.

The young man was standing tall in front of him, and there was nothing more pleasant than imagining him being beaten down with clubs by a bunch of muscle heads from the army squadrons and dragged off somewhere. It felt good for Hidan to picture that perfect arrogant face getting mauled, the lean body bashed.

King Itachi may have all the smart head and good physique that the former king had endowed him, but he was still, in Hidan's eyes, a lousy teenager and a fucking pill.

But he also knew that if he ever voiced his opinion, his head would be rolling away from his body faster than the bird perched up there would take flight. So his kept his mouth shut like a good kid. But all that caution had a tendency to melt away whenever the boy king ignored him like this—Itachi started to walk on without response, sending a surge of irritation Hidan's way.

"Your…your majesty? "

King Itachi stopped, irked.

"What. "

"This. Isn't about your broth... the prince, but. Well, actually, this is a..."

"Make your point. "

King Itachi was already irritated— it always showed up in his deadpan eyes, the tiny flare of anger. Hidan hurriedly minded his rambling and regained himself.

"You're supposed to attend the meeting with the envoy from Arudan this evening, perhaps you should c…"

"I'll look over the files after the meal. "

Hidan choked back his will to scream out, 'dickhead'. Ah. Restrain, restrain.

"But… your majesty, that would only leave you thirty minutes, and there are almost a hundred pages of l…"

"That would suffice."

Itachi walked away, leaving Hidan a bit taken aback, and thoroughly shaken. He grimaced and admitted defeat; the king was right- King Itachi was surprisingly good at his job of attending the country, even with lack of enthusiasm.

'That kid is too smart for his own good…' He muttered.

Smart kings are okay, but smart cocky assholes don't measure up for good. It made people cautious, and made the whole king-servant relationships go stale. There were enough officials at court who were weary of the king's conduct, and it would lead up to no good, for sure.

"Just wait. Just wait till then. "

The riots would start, just like it did with the former king. And the court would disown Itachi by force, and put up the bastard kid on throne, but only as a puppet for them to utilize. A regular marionette. Well planned out scenario. It was bound to work.

Hidan left, a sick grin on his face, his gait lively.

Meanwhile, King Itachi had moved on to the gardens, away from the dining halls, in contrary to what he had made Hidan believe he was headed to.

No, he meant to speak with his half-brother, a little 'talk'. It was time they had a talk. The kid was going out of control. The boy had a penchant for attracting scandals.

"Sasuke. "

"...well. If it isn't your majesty. "

Sasuke managed to pack a lot of hate and scorn into the phrase, 'your majesty', and Itachi did not fail to notice.

"I heard. "

"...about what. "

"You bashed another servant boy and had to courtesy to rape yet another servant girl. A laundry girl this time. "

"Good news travels fast. "

Itachi's brow creased, his mood turned dangerous. The next time he spoke, it was with a little more anger and less of the neutral composed tone he normally used.

"That's right, keep playing the fool, you stupid little kid. When will you get that you're only hurting yourself by fucking up your duties as a prince. "

Itachi didn't show any of the agitation on his face, but it showed a little in his strained voice. Sasuke stood back a bit, eyes cast down but his posture rebellious.

"Well blow me off, I didn't know kings said fuck. But just to keep you updated—the servant girl came on to me. And the boy had it coming. You don't know the filth that spewed out that that cretin's mouth—you'd be crediting me if you had been present. "

Itachi ignored the rest.

"...I expect you to be, at the meeting with the envoy tonight. Nine pm, sharp. Understood? "

"I met a court girl today. By the looks of her attire, probably a high official's girl. She lied to me and said she was a servant, say, what if I fuck her? "

"I will whip you myself. "

"Figures. "

A gust of wind lapped the two tall figures that stood in the middle of the garden, surrounded by exotic trees and blooming flowers. The sun had already set, and cooler air settled in, taking the place of the afternoon sun's warmth.

Itachi spoke quietly.

"...slow down, kid. And stay on track. "

He walked over to Sasuke, a grim look on his face.

"You're my brother, no matter how fucked up you are. I'm dealing with it. "

"...and so am I. "

Sasuke replied swiftly, his eyes averted with a lost gaze, glazed over and disconcerted.

"Be there, at the meeting, and for fuck's sake, learn what it's like to be a prince. For once. "

"...fine. I'll be there. "

* * *

**(Bloodiedsugs' words on DeathPlay-**

New Message: I'm BAAAaack! Whee... I'm doing minor renovations to DP… Reading over, I realized how bad my writing was lolol—not that it's perfected now—but a person can always improve right? Hope you enjoy the story more AFTER it's been tinkled with a bit. More readable in any case.

* * *

Old message: I just thought it would be helluva fun to depict Naruto in a completely fantasy world, something close to feudal Japan. lolz;

This is completely different from HSBK, I'm warning.

I'm also liking the idea of Jiraiya and Naruto, the comic relief. As always.

Bear with me)


	2. Pretense

**DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals**

**CH1- Start of the end**

**(Session #2- Pretense)**_**

* * *

**_

**(West of Ksingard, Readen woods, northeast)**

It was past nightfall.

And Naruto and Jiraiya were still hovering on top of the mountain trail.

"We'll never get to central city at this rate, this is bad…"

"…You said a 'few hours'! "

Sensing his apprentice's ditress, Jiraiya decided not to point out that Naruto had forgot to add "sir."

"Hmm, technically, five hours still counts as a few hours…"

"I 'don't want to hear it! "

Naruto stomped ahead in a storm, strength miraculously restored by power of irritation. But he did not go far before hearing the sound of horses trotting and the noise of wheels running against the muddy ground. The apprentice and the priest both turned to see a grand carriage approaching.

Jiraiya commented.

"Oh look, a carriage. Must hold some important people in there…"

They wryly watched as the horses effortlessly trotted. The wheels of the carriage bumped slightly against the knotted forest ground. But the people inside would not be able to feel much except for a slight twitch here and a small vibration there.

"Huh, wish 'we' had a carriage. "

They looked at each other after a prolonged pause, one with epiphany and the other with growing horror.

"Sir… no. You can't! Look at the side of the carriage; it's the black phoenix emblem! It's from our country, it's from Arudan…"

"Ah yes, it must hold an envoy of some sort. "

Jiraiya was smiling very happily in a way that made Naruto very uncomfortable. He was wielding the staff. Naruto's face fell when he realize what the priest was about to do—hijack the carriage, that's what.

"No, no, no…argh, you're a frickin' holy man, you muuuusssnn'ttt! "

The last of his words were cut off as Jiraiya started darting towards the carriage, his staff hovering and sinister light gathering from the end of its…

The horses snorted in fear and the people in the carriage felt a queer tumult. They heard a thumping noise, which, happened to be the sound of the horseman getting off and running away in fear.

The door clicked open, and the head of a man with a shock of white hair leaned in with a bright engaging smile on his dirt ridden holy face.

"Why, hello! "

The people smiled heartily and replied 'hello'… not. Actually, they screamed.

"I'm very very sorry, but we happen to really need this carriage. "

Jiraiya informed them. A man wearing a long maroon coat spoke up at this- he seemed to be the envoy.

"What… are you? And why are you doing this! Who sent you? How… how much did they pay you? "

Naruto felt like laughing; they thought Jiraiya was an assassin. The people did not seem to think this funny though; they were cowering against the wall of the carriage. Naruto poked his head in and thought of saying hello, but realized he wouldn't get much reception—not when Jiraiya was considered an assassin and he, the apprentice of an assassin. How sad.

"The gods shall punish you… doing something like this wearing the clothes of a holy man! "

"Yeah, yeah, I heard that line a thousand times from that kid over there alone, I don't need to hear it from you. Besides, I'm not going to kill you, savvy? "

"…what are you going to do then? "

"This. "

Jiraiya suddenly thrust his hands forward, making all the people gasp, and grabbed the hem of the maroon coat the envoy was wearing. From a rear point of view, it almost looked as if he was kissing the man.

"W…what is the meaning of this? Sodomite! "

Apparently, the man thought so too.

"No, no, no. Ick. I don't do men. And even if I did men, I'd choose someone less endowed in the stomach compartment…well. What I need is your coat. Besides the carriage I mean. "

"…t…take it! "

"Why, thank you. You're most kind. "

"…anything …else? "

"Your shirt and pants. "

"…I'll be naked! "

"Too bad. "

A moment later, the envoy was exposing his underwear, discreetly hidden by his servant's coat, and Jiraiya was donning the maroon coat. The color made a horrible contrast with his hair. He shook his arms out once or twice and gestured proudly at Naruto who scrunched up his face—fashion terrorist—and avoided eye contact. Jiraiya shrugged.

Pulling at the hem of his new coat, he turned toward the shrouded naked man and his entourage.

"Well now, you guys may scram. "

"…go? "

"Yep. "

"…you will pay for this! "

"Oh sure. Bye bye, nice to meet you guys. Much thanks for generosity."

Naruto heard the sound of his sacks bumping up and down to the rhythm of the carriage, and opened his eyes, which he had been closing for the final exchange. He slumped against his seat in sudden fatigue. Despair outranked comfort. They had really stolen the carriage. They had stolen a genuine royal carriage. The black phoenix was the emblem of the royal court in Arudan… attacking the carriage alone was enough to get them beheaded. But to pretend that you were the envoy…

Naruto hoped his home country was humane enough to present them with painless killing. If he was to be cooped together with the priest, he'd say Jiraiya had forced him to do everything.

"There! We got a carriage and probably, the court of Ksingard is awaiting us with a banquet… "

"Are you out of your mind? "

"Rude, aren't you? That is no way to speak to an elder…"

The horses ran merrily, not realizing the owner of the carriage had changed in a short span of time. Jiraiya handled the reins surprisingly well, but even this did not lull Naruto into a fake sense of security.

"Look, sir? I'm really regretting this… may I go home? "

"Comfortable, yes, Abudullah?

"I hate you. "

* * *

**(West of Ksingard's main gate, Central city)**

"…they're late. They're never late. "

A man was leaning against the stony walls of the main gate, arms crossed and eyes heading towards the darkened sky. He donned a thick ash-gray robe with a sash of white- a scholar. A look of exasperation was creeping up his face.

"Hmph, those barbarians don't know the first rules of etiquette, figures. "

Another spoke up.

The second speaker had the looks of a high class mercenary, with a head of spiky wine-red hair and loosened robes, all black. A slim sword was at his side, buckled loosely on a cord of black leather.

"Kiba, they were barbarians a century ago. Now they're civilized and growing power at that. Ever since they had the new king, remember? "

The first man was frowning, a strand of his tawny hair falling against his glasses.

"Come on, Kabuto, they're fast-civilized, and that ain't the same as old-civilized, like us.

"They aren't the one with the scandals. "

Kiba undid his arms, as he stared startled at his companion. Kabuto averted his eyes and pretended not to notice.

"Jesus, Kabuto. That's treason; I could slice your head off for that. "

"Well, are you going to? "

Kiba grimaced and took an involuntary step back at his friend's calm gaze.

"Hell no, man! You're the best medic in the country. "

They stood staring at each other for a moment and then looked away. They both knew that was not the reason he wouldn't act according to law.

The moon had risen.

* * *

**(Ksingard central city, Royal court main hall)**

"…this counts as attending. "

Sasuke commented dryly as he sat on the tall red seats in the main hall. He had arrived for the meeting two hours ago, but the envoy had still not arrived. Itachi sat stagnant, his face unmoving despite a furious twitch here and there once in a while— in total contrast to his half-brother who say scowling with a dark cloud cast over his head.

"There must be some trouble up in the trail. "

"Well I'm going. You must be mad to think I'm going to wait another minute here with your dull self as the sole company. "

Sasuke stood up swiftly, ignoring the swarming servants attempting to stop him. They moved in as close as they dared, but once Sasuke started moving towards them, they had no choice but to make way. They looked desperately at King Itachi for help, but he did not move. Behind them, Hidan stood with a smirk, hidden by the dark shadows.

"Don't bother calling me if the envoy comes; I'm not coming back. "

He did not wait for Itachi's answer as he threw open the heavy metal doors himself- the servants were too afraid to disobey their King.

But they weren't too afraid to cross the bastard prince, weren't they, Sasuke thought cynically. Not even bothered to open doors for him now, he might as well be a servant himself. It was not too bad a thought—he'd have a tad bit more mobility and freedom as a servant. He might even enjoy some manual labor—anything was preferable to the stifling life he led present.

He stomped through the hallway and took a shortcut into the pavilion. Deep in his thoughts, he did not notice the group of people approaching him. The leader of the group spoke, taken aback.

"Prince Sasuke… is the meeting over? "

Sasuke looked up to find Hyuuga Hiashi, a first rank royal army general, looking back at him in unhidden surprise. He was dressed casually in the formal black robes, in contrast to his usual militia attire. A few others flanked him, three appearing to be servants, and the other two his family.

"…it never began in the first place, so I wouldn't necessarily call it over. "

"Forgive me but…I'm not sure I follow you. "

"The envoy didn't arrive. "

The prince replied wryly.

"...oh. That never happens..."

There was an awkward silence. The two men sized up each other, though one was more cautious than the other. Sasuke suddenly spoke up curiously, a suspicious look on his face.

"Why are you still in palace grounds? I thought your home was far back in northern Cydia. "

Hiashi smiled suddenly, visibly happy and seemingly proud.

"….well, we have a visitor fresh back from Fleorte- please, may I introduce to you… come here, step forwards Neji. "

A lean young man stood forward, his long black hair tied loosely and standing tall. He had the jaded look of a mercenary, but a certain elegance and intelligent looking eyes stopped him from looking completely the solider figure.

"It's the son of my younger brother- this is Hyuuga Neji. He has talent, and I felt he had a place in the court army. He's young but seeing that our youngest general is only 17 years old, he might catch on soon enough. "

Neji bowed politely, his posture formal. But Sasuke wasn't looking at him- he was looking at the cowering figure behind. He had the grace to not grin maliciously at the prey suddenly present before him.

"…who is that? "

"Pardon? "

"That. That girl hiding behind your Neji. "

Hiashi turned back to find his only daughter, Hinata cowering against a servant girl. He sighed in resignation. The prince had a ridiculously good eye for sorting out girls didn't he?

"It's my daughter, Hinata. Pardon me, prince, she's quite shy… Hinata? Hinata, come here. "

She took very small tiny steps, and did not bother looking up. She hoped her bangs covered her face well, and spoke in a tiny cramped voice unlike her own.

"Hyuuga Hinata…prince Sasuke. "

Sasuke tried hiding an amused grin but failed miserably. This was just too much.

"Look up. I'm not going to hurt you for looking at me. "

"…I…"

Hiashi gaped at his daughter, a little agitated. What was wrong with Hinata? His daughter might be shy, but this was bordering on foolish, teetering precariously on dangerously stupid.

"It's an order."

Hinata finally raised her head an inch, her eyes squeezed shut. She only fully raised her head when Neji worriedly put a warm hand on her left shoulder and shook her into sense. She opened her eyes to find prince Sasuke wearing an uncharacteristic smirk on his face. He looked ecstatic at having found distraction.

Even Hiashi was amazed.

"…is there something wrong, my prince? I'm sorry my daughter is so s…"

"It's fine. There's nothing wrong, but I hope to have her as company sometime… do you mind? "

Hiashi felt a hint of dread- the prince had a penchant for bedding young virgins—and Hinata no doubt fell into the fold like a perfect puzzle piece. But he had to relent. How could he not? It was the prince, even though a bastard prince.

"Of course, she is at your mercy. "

"Good. "

Prince Sasuke walked away, leaving Hyuuga Hinata to stand despairing until her father grimly shook her back into reality, leading her back to the sanctuary of her room.

* * *

**(West of Ksingard's main gate, Central city)**

"I hear a carriage approaching. Must be the envoy. "

"Hell with him! It's like, midnight. This is a fucking foul stunt to pull! "

"Sht, watch your mouth Kiba. They might be rude, but they're still important to the country's well being. "

"Important my ass. "

Kiba shushed reluctantly when Kabuto sent him another wry look- the gates were opening. The two of them stood sideways to welcome in the carriage, though one was wearing a determined scowl.

They were surprised to find the envoy seated on top of the carriage, and actually pulling the reins himself. Kiba muttered something about barbarians again.

"Oh god… sir, look! They really think we're the envoy… what are you going to do? What are we going to do? "

Naruto whispered furiously at Jiraiya, who was infuriatingly calm about the whole matter. He expertly drew the carriage to a stop and whispered through the side of his mouth to his apprentice:

"Hmm, improvise, of course. You may be the vice-envoy. "

"There's no such thing as vice-enovys! "

"You don't wish to be my servant, no? "

"…fine. I'll be the vice- whatever. But I'm only 16, you don't think they'd actually believe t…"

"Servant it is. "

The court general and medic welcomed the fake envoy and his servant. It was supposedly a welcome, but Naruto could not help but notice a certain amount of animosity in their greetings.

The gates closed behind the carriage, trapping them in.

* * *

**(Bloodiedsug's words on Deathplay)**

New Message: This is really eating up my time… but I'm happier with the newer version. I'm just fixing grammar and improving the flow of the story—the story itself won't change I promise. To the next chapter…

* * *

Old message: There…. This is really taking long, but I like this story because I have it planned out, unlike HSBK.

Actually, Deathplay is a manga that I drew- not concerning Naruto- about a year ago… its up on smackjeeves if anyone cares to see.

Anyways, the names of cities and countries are all made up, and it's all mine. Most of it is from my unfinished mangas, Deathplay, Sado and Cresania.

Also, on other matters:

-Well, you must understand that ages all vary… that's why Kiba's something like twenty four while Naruto's like, 16? And Kabuto is not evil here; he's a clever medic and a friend of Kiba, lol.

- I don't particularly mind criticism, but pointing out things like… comma friendly and all… I like commas, lmao. Who cares if I'm comma friendly? Please, only criticism on things that I can utilize- I'm not going to change the way I write.

-And one more fun fact, guess who's the king of Arudan?

Gaara, ha.

Bear with me. )


	3. Pretense II royal court

**DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals**

**CH1- Start of the end**

**(Session #3- Pretense II (royal court))**

* * *

**(North of Ksingard central city (Cydia), Hyuuga residence, third wing)**

A dim light was lit along the length of the lavish hallways, leading to a cozy room with a side view of the Readen mountain- Hinata's room. A man's voice trickled out from under the closed doors.

"Hinata, what's wrong? "

Neji asked for the tenth time.

Hinata hated to be worrying her dear cousin, but she was too agitated to care. She felt like dying. Or rather, that might come true. I mean, lying to a prince count as treason, doesn't it? Oh god, she could be beheaded!

Neji's forehead creased as he watched his cousin's face blanch chalk-white. He's just arrived in Ksingard, fresh from his years of training in Fleorte; he's been hoping for a warm genuine welcome from Hinata, but she seemed too wound up on something he could not place his hands on. Even his uncle did not seem to recognize this new agitated reticence Hinata harbored. He wished he could help but she just wasn't talking. His nose creased in worry, his unbalanced elegance reflecting off.

Hinata was fully aware of Neji's impatience, but growing panic blocked out all caring. The "what ifs" dominated her heart, all other thoughts were being filtered through that dreadful prospect of possible death.

She suddenly grabbed Neji's robe hems with uncharacteristically roughness and wailed.

"Neji! I don't want to die! "

Oh, woe be gone. Neji reacted quickly enough, and with as much intensity as Hinata.

"W…what? Are you ill? Is it cancer? "

"I don't want to die! "

"Don't die! "

It was as well executed as a Shakespearean play—a tragedy unfolding with comedy in essence. Anxious servants ran to call Hiashi, and he entered the room hurriedly, to find Hinata sobbing in Neji's arms, her tears soaking through his black robes.

'Is she dying? '

Neji worriedly mouthed at Hiashi, pointing discreetly at Hinata's sobbing head. Hiashi cocked his head back in surprise.

"…not that I know of… Hinata, what's the matter with you? "

Hiashi walked over to his daughter and gently pried her bobbing head from Neji's chest, into which she was bawling. Noticing her father, Hinata turned to him with her tear streaked face.

"Fa…father, I … good bye father, I love you! Bye Neji…bye, I love you too, … I wish I could spend more time! "

"…wh… what is the meaning of this? Hinata? "

They spent a cautious half-hour of interrogating the hysteric Hinata- a feat for Hiashi who rarely spent time away from his duties- and finally realized what had been plaguing Hinata the entire evening. Hiashi almost staggered- he hadn't realized his daughter was this naive.

Or rather, stupid.

"Prince Sasuke's not going to behead you for lying to him! "

"B…but it's treason! I…I committed treason! "

Hiashi pushed back a will to roll his eyes. Neji had his back turned since the point he realize what the problem was.

"Hinata, didn't you see him smirking? He wants to see you again, not behead you… which, is actually what I'd been worrying of. Why would he want to see you? Did you do something to him other than lying? "

"No…no. "

A much calmer Hinata blinked and answered. Hiashi sighed heavily.

"Well, see, he's not going to behead you, nor punish you. He was amused, can't you tell? I'm going now; I have much work to do. "

He turned to the row of servants, all of whom who seemed to be greatly entertained by the situation. They all had their head bowed respectfully, yet they exuded mirth.

"Next time this happens, count to a thousand before calling me. "

He ordered.

"Yes, sir. "

The servants bowed and Hiashi left. Hinata shyly wiped her tears, feeling a bit silly. She turned to find Neji's back turned to her. Somewhat alarmed, she approached him cautiously. Wiping the rest of her tears on the hem of her cloak, she took a wary poke at his back. Was he mad?

"Neji? "

He was silent. She mustered up more courage and spoke with concern.

"Neji? I'm… so sorry, are you mad? Neji? "

His shoulders were shaking, he must be really mad. Hinata carefully put her small hand on his shoulder. Pray tell, he is …

That was when she realized, he wasn't angry.

He was doubled over in silent laughter. He had his eyes closed, his mouth tightly shut, face distorted in attempt to hide his mirth.

'She' got angry.

"Don't laugh! It's not funny! "

"…H…inata, I didn't realize… how funny… you were… are you like this everyday? "

Hinata smacked him one on the head- surprisingly for her, since she was rarely violent. But it was Neji, so it was okay. She's always felt comfortable with Neji- he had always been nice and caring, with a sense of fun. Well in this case, no wonder he was laughing at her instead of with her, but usually he made her laugh.

She felt a new sense of warmth for her cousin, and quietly wrapped her arms around his strong body. Neji finally stopped heaving with laughter, and smiled, observing the gesture.

"Welcome back cousin, I missed you. "

"Thanks, Hinata. Missed you too."

* * *

**(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)**

"Your majesty, the envoy has arrived, but he requests resting before meeting you. Which room should I give them? "

"…tell them to meet me in the morning, after breakfast. Give them the left wing. "

The messenger curtly bowed, and stood still, waiting for permission to speak further.

"Your majesty? "

"What is it. "

"…it is a bit strange… general Inuzuka and the medic Kabuto told me that, the envoy was pulling the reins himself… and he brought only one servant, a young temple boy. From Regalus, and as you know, religion and politics don't mesh. It's weird; I was wondering, just so you know. "

The side of Itachi's mouth curled; that was indeed curious. It defied custom, and Arudan—despite its short history—lived on custom. Those two weren't the real deal, he was sure of it.

"I change my mind. Tell them to meet me before breakfast. That is all, you may go now. "

"Yes sir. "

The messenger bowed again deeply, and walked over to the doors, which the servants pushed open for him. Itachi remained in the room.

Outside in the cool night air, Hidan stood waiting, a grin on his face. He paused briefly for his companion to catch up with him.

"Well well, this is priceless, Shino. What did you tell him? "

"Everything. "

Shino answered blandly, hiding his head again by raising the hood on the back of his gray robes. He didn't bother with his glasses though, it was already too dark.

"Did he get mad? "

"Nah, calm as always. "

"Hmm, maybe I was hoping for too much… but say, this is great! What a laugh, Arudan directly insulting the royal court of Ksingard! "

Shino turned and critically gazed at the side of Hidan's pleased face.

"Tell me, Hidan, you look ecstatic. Just why is it that you're happy over this? "

"Oh come on, I'm different, that's all. Conflict thrills me. "

"…you don't say. "

Shino turned his head pointedly, and Hidan cringed. He should've been more collected- Shino probably considered him a nut, and a sadistic nut at that. It was insult to be considered a nut, coming from a creepy messenger with an odd bug-loving hobby—he bet Shino had never had a girl in his life. Adding insult to injury, Shino ranked slightly lower than he, and yet he could not extract even a single ounce of respect from the reticent messenger. That didn't matter much though; today has gone exceptionally well, in Hidan's eyes.

They walked the full length of the corridors, and cut right to the information dome. Data networking sector, Hidan's nest.

* * *

**(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)**

The room was extravagantly decorated with tapestries and real flowers.

Naruto and Jiraiya roamed freely the spacious room- Jiraiya examining a bottle of sake and Naruto pacing around fretfully.

"Thank god they didn't pull us into the meeting right away! What are we going do now, sir? They really think we're the envoy group? Just the two of us? "

Naruto skeptically eyed his sensei, who was intently gazing at the translucent liquid with glazed eyes. He wasn't listening at all—he was already under the spell of sake.

"Not at all- you may recall the messenger specifically telling us that the meeting would begin before breakfast. Now, as you see, it is court etiquette to treat guests as finely as possible… starting a meeting before breakfast is considered very very rude. Thus, you can conclude that, yes. They know we're fakes. And they're probably planning something sinister for us in the morning. "

Jiraiya explained patiently as he held up another bottle and sniffed the top. Apparently all the drinks seemed to call out "drink me" to him. He seemed satisfied with the contents and popped the cork happily.

Meanwhile, Naruto gulped in fear.

Which is better- beheaded in Ksingard or beheaded in Arudan? He mulled over the dilemma continuously. After some thinking, he made a decision which he presented to Jiraiya in all sincerity:

"You know, sir? When I die, I at least wanna die at home. "

Jiraiya wasn't even listening. His 'sensei', downed a whole bottle of sake and dropped down onto his bed, luxuriously lined with pure silk.

"Ahhhhh this is the life. "

"Well, I'll set the alarm for 3am or something, then we'll escape. "

"…seriously? Escape? From the heart of the royal palace of Ksingard? "

"Sure, why… not. "

Jiraiya's head drooped and he started to snore right away after his last words. Naruto, for a second, believed that his sensei was pulling a lame act to get him laugh and relax, but soon realized that Jiraiya was truly sleeping, no kidding.

"Oi…hello? Sir? Old man? You asleep?"

Naruto doubtfully gazed at his snoring sensei, and then set out for his own bed. He reached for the light switch and clicked it shut- the room was immediately immersed in darkness. A silky kind of darkness. He sat up for a while, staring out into the starless sky until his eyes adapted to the dark.

Soon, his left shoulder started to ache heavily- as usual.

"…Jesus. Pipe down, you. "

Naruto muttered, but there was no one else in the room except for Jiraiya, who was in deep slumber. His right hand reached out and rubbed the soreness, but it wasn't a pain that went away with long treatment. It had stayed with him since birth, and it would probably remain… unless.

Naruto turned wearily to Jiraiya, his sensei.

Jiraiya didn't look too dependable, but he was skilled in his expertise, and that was what Naruto had been looking for. Jiraiya's ability for demon-slaying was the sole reason Naruto decided to follow him all the way to Ksingard without looking too deep into the reasons, even though Jiraiya proved himself to attract all sorts of conflict… actually, more like brewing trouble himself.

But still.

If that guy taught him well enough, he just might be able to get rid of 'it'. 'It' that had been the cause of his parent's death- or rather, his father's death. No one knew where his mother went after that day of his birth.

He sighed heavily and mussed his hair. Lowering down to sleep, he leaned back too far, bumped his head on the mahogany rim of the bed, and fell off the bed.

"Ow… ow ow, damn you timber! "

He lay still on the marble floor, grumbling. A few moments later, the pain subsided- even the one that lay dormant in his left shoulder. He fell asleep on the cold marble.

* * *

**(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Munificence)**

The entry to Sasuke's quarters was open, and a soft light leaked out. Sasuke sat up on his bed, his bed covers thrown about and his eyes staring loosely into empty space.

"My prince… you're still awake? "

A tall lean man slipped in, speaking in a subdued tone. Sasuke's head snapped up irritably, but he softened when he saw who it was.

Hatake Kakashi, a first rank general and a regular visitor in the royal court.

He was a tall and well-built man with a surprisingly slouchy posture for a man with over ten years of military experience. He was first put to battle at 16- a first for such a young man. But he'd proved himself over and over again. Now, he had behind him enough trophies and land awarded for bravery and loyalty that he was close to being a member of the royal family as well, but he never pushed the line. He was well accepted into the fold, but his formal manners and appearance set him apart from others: He had a crop of silver hair that had a tendency to stick out sideways, and enjoyed donning a black mask that rose up to his nose, hiding his face.

It was that mask that made him such a controversial and popular topic for gossip among the servants and pupils- what the hell was under that mask, exactly? A handsome face? A monster?

Nevertheless, he had a straight reputation for excelling at work and was genuinely respected by fellow peers and students- Sasuke had been among his pupils. Until he grew up and assumed the roll of the bastard prince.

"…hm. I can't get to sleep. I had a fascinating experience today. "

"Really? May I ask if I'm not intruding, what is it about? "

Sasuke thought of the blushing cowering girl- daughter of Hyuuga Hiashi, and felt another smirk creeping up the side of his normally impassive lips. Kakashi noted this in interest.

"…nah, nothing important. Though, I have a strange feeling- a hunch- that things are going to get interesting from now on. "

Kakashi smiled benevolently- his crinkled eyes showed that he was smiling under the mask. They were both quiet for a moment, until Sasuke spoke up again.

"Say, Kakashi. Don't you get sick of calling me prince all the time? "

Kakashi cocked his eyebrow. It was nice chatting with the bastard prince like he would a friend, but it was always a dangerous topic, his status. Despite lenience, Kakahi knew his place. He knew it was not a trap Sasuke was setting up, but caution was mandatory at a place like this. Listening ears were everywhere, like those of the palace rat, Hidan.

"It's what you are, prince Sasuke. Why should I get sick of speaking it? "

Sasuke heaved a sigh.

"…don't speak as if we've never met before. Come on. I used to train under you- I still remember what you'd said. As long as you're in battlefield, no one is superior to any other. Only skill and experience matter. "

"I see I have an attentive pupil, prince Sasuke. I'm grateful. But just a reminder that we are at court, not a battlefield. "

Kakashi replied mildly, leaving his former pupil scowling. Leaning back and looking away impatiently, Sasuke spat out:

"Stop calling me prince, I hate it when 'you' do that. Call me Sasuke. Or baka, or useless. Or just whatever you want to call me. "

"Are you trying to get me to commit treason, prince—by calling you stupid? "

Kakashi chuckled as Sasuke snorted disdainfully. He turned to depart, and raised a languid hand leisurely as his leave.

"Good night…Sasuke. "

"Night, sensei. "

* * *

**(Bloodiedsugs's comments on DP-**

New Message: Finally through third friggin chapter… I'll stop for now, this is harder work than I thought. Lol. Hopefully I'll be through the entire 19 chapters before winter break…I'll continue DP too, I promise. I dislike abandoning stories.

* * *

Old message: Thank you for the lovely comments, alerts and faves…

This story is entirely original- it's not based on anything except for the bits and scraps that I conjure up in my head. But I mixed in elements of Naruto in the story- that's why Kabuto's a medic, Naruto has a demon trapped inside him and Arudan, is a desert country. Lolz.

By the way, to stop confusion over the names of places…

Ksingard is Itachi's country, Readen mountain (Readen woods, Readen trail) is the route that connects Northern Arudan to Southern Ksingard, Central city equals Cydia, Fleorte is another country that specializes in militia training. If you're still confused, tell me.

Also, the story is mainly comedy and the tone is humorous… for now.

It's going to get serious later when I actually get 'into' the plot, but for now, enjoy the jesting.

Bear with me. )


	4. Where all the trouble starts

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #4- Where all the trouble starts)

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

"…holy shit. "

Naruto groggily squinted, hoping that the bright light piercing his eyes were not those of the sun, but a really intense lantern.

But it was the sun.

For the sun to be up that high… it must be, 10pm? 11pm?

He lay still for a moment, the horror of the situation sinking in ever so slowly, and yelled out to Jiraiya in a high-pitched voice unlike his.

"Siiiirr!! "

Jiraiya stirred.

He turned lazily, eyes still closed and a contented sleepy smile playing at his lips.

"Ahh, what a nasty hangover. Hmm? What's wrong, Abdullah? Why are you sleeping on the floor? "

"My name is not Ab… forget it. Just … just look outside will you?! "

Jiraiya turned and looked at the bright light shining through the window. It was fully open, and the sound of morning birds chirping was heard throughout the court. A faint scent of dew lingered in the air.

"My my, what a wonderful day. Beautiful sunlight. Great weather. What is it that you want to show me? "

Naruto jumped up from the floor in frustration.

"That's exactly it!! The sun is up, sir! It's fucking morning! What about the plan of running away in the middle of the night?! "

"Oh… that. Hmm…Just a moment… this migraine is really killing me, I'd say. "

Naruto groaned in despair while Jiraiya pinched his eyes and murmured something that was impossible to dechiper.

"What are we going to do?! Run away in daylight?! That equals to saying, kill me!! "

"Oh no, why are you always so pessimistic? "

"I'm being reasonable sir!!"

The chance of successfully running away was about zilch.

Ksingard, especially regions down in the southern border and Cydia, was famed for its tight security- not an ant can pass unless the officials give assent.

Also, Ksingard, being an 'old-civilized' as they liked to claim, had a big thick book entirely on penalties… it was full of gory descriptions on how you could be pickled to death when committing treason.

At any rate, they were screwed.

"You know, Naruto, there was a popular saying in temple Regalus… "

Jiraiya suddenly spoke with authority.

Naruto's head jerked up in hope. He awaited the saying, hoping he could somehow obtain a solution for this messy situation…

"Sleeping on cold floors can make your mouth turns sideways. "

Jiraiya enunciated, and Naruto exploded.

"Argh!! That's 'not' what I wanted to know!! "

The mood of the room had deflated, and Jiraiya shrugged.

"Just an advice, that's all. You want to keep your mouth straight, don't you? Hmm. No need to flame up, Abdullah. "

"You're doing that on purpose!! You know my name!! "

"Sure I do. Abdulla…"

Naruto was on the verge of strangling himself and his sensei both.

"I 'hate' you!! Why did I ever follow you!! "

"Because I'm the great demon-slayer of Aru…"

"Pack it! I've heard that a million times! "

"That's not a way to speak to an eld…"

"Oh come on!! "

All of a sudden, there was a knocking on the door, a curt rap that indicated hostility. Both Naruto and Jiraiya quickly hushed up, straining their ears to hear what was being said.

"My king will be waiting for you at the main hall. That is the hall right downside the palace gardens, across the corridors and out of the big dome- that is all. "

After the scant tapping of the messenger's footstep's gone away, Jiraiya frowned and spoke up.

"So they're not even bothering to escort us. How rude. "

Naruto slipped down on to the floor dizzily and muttered with his eyes closed.

"…please, 'please' tell me you have a plan, sir! "

"I don't know… let's say, shall we improvise? "

"Look where it got us!! "

"Hmm. I don't know. Come on, let's move along. It's rude to keep someone waiting, Naruto. "

Jiraiya pulled along a very reluctant Naruto out of the room and down the corridors…

The sun was shining brightly.

It was indeed, a beautiful day. Great weather.

--

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Royal Palace Gardens)

"I had a hunch you'd be here. "

Sasuke spoke to the stricken Hinata, who hadn't heard the prince approaching. She had been engrossed in her book- history of Arudan, what can you say?

Hinata had yesterday, had a heated discussion with Hanabi, who was mainly concerned with the prince's good looks, while Hinata focused more on his 'scary' side.

Prince Sasuke had a notorious reputation, and everyone was aware of that…. With the exception of childish Hanabi, who still indignantly assessed with a pouting mouth, 'But he's hot'.

Hinata did not 'disagree', ha, but she was still acutely aware of the young prince's brute strength, his proclivity for forceful actions and the rage that seemed to be trapped inside him, 24/7.

"…I'm sorry, prince Sasuke, please… pl…ease accept my apolo…"

"Look, why the fuss? No. no, don't you dare start crying… I said stop! "

Hinata tried, but could not stop the tears that sprouted from her eyes. It was a childhood tendency that she had never quite gotten rid of- she cried 'a lot'.

Then she thought, she disobeyed him again by crying! Does 'this' count as treason? Would she be beheaded now?

Where was Neji, by the way?!

She felt her emotions mount into one of hysteric properties, and gave up altogether on stopping her flowing tears.

She bawled.

And Sasuke muttered in resign.

"Damned female antics…"

Prince Sasuke stood stagnant, half bowled over by the intensity of Hinata's grief and half alarmed at himself for not feeling even a bit frustrated. Usually, he was triggered by even the slightest thing, but this girl… was different.

Not that he was attracted or anything but…

Why did he feel like laughing?

Prince Sasuke never laughs, that's a fact.

"…look, I'm not here to, scare you or anything, honestly, I'm just... Jesus, stop crying!! "

He yelled. She bawled.

He scared her.

Neji, who had been temporarily absorbed by the magnolias in the garden, returned to find Hinata sobbing and prince Sasuke fretting. He hid behind the willows, pressing his body against the bark so he would not be seen.

Neji suppressed another bout of laughter-Hinata was incredibly funny- and frowned in wonder.

Why was the prince so obsessed with his cousin sister? It was curious, very curious.

And somewhat disturbing.

--

(Heart of Arudan, Royal palace court, Discussion hall)

The air was dry, as usual.

The windows of the court discussion hall were wide open, and arid grimy wind blew in occasionally. Normally, this would have been noted and the servants would have rushed to resolve this dilemma, but they had been ordered out by the king.

As a result, there were only three people present in the room- the king, the court messenger and a temple girl from Regalus that had visited to request a few things from the royal court.

"Your majesty, the envoy is back. "

The messenger spoke apprehensively.

The young king of Arudan stood with his hands loosely crossed, his back to the messenger.

He had a crop of tousled maroon hair, snowy white skin that somehow made his countenance vulnerable, and eyes that were cerulean or aquamarine, depending on the lighting. His eyes were deeply lined with black shadows and his body was light and agile, a lithe and boyishly slender form. He wore a thick burgundy robe that bore the black phoenix emblem of Arudan, and a strand of necklace formed from onyx hung loosely from his neck. The onyx was cut in the sign of a wounded star- indicating sovereignty.

Overall, king Gaara's appearance was somewhat eccentric, an unbalanced mismatch that combined to make up a, strangely enough, appealing look.

He might have looked a tad bit unhealthy, but he was surprisingly strong. It was proven enough times by the bouts of combating tournaments he liked to hold annually, of which he always came out the winner.

His strength in combat was a remnant of his past- so filled with deaths and battles for the throne that he's started to anticipate the violence instead of shying from it. Gaara did not go out of his way to create violence, but it always seemed to come to him.

He knew how to be violent.

"…this soon? "

The messenger hesitated to speak, even though the question had been spoken in a mild tone.

"…well. That is… hmm. "

"Elaborate. "

"…they were attacked, by a…this is very very curious indeed… "

"Are you bent on wasting my time? Out with it. "

Gaara's face was bland, but his tone held an element of anger in it.

The messenger went pale, and lowered his eyes. He answered.

"…they were attacked by a Regalus priest and his assistant.

Across the room, the blonde girl wearing the Regalus attire stiffened.

King Gaara did not bother looking at her, but the atmosphere turned somehow, uncomfortable.

"But, nothing's sure, isn't it? My king, those two were violent enough to attack a carriage with the royal emblem… perhaps those robes were stolen too. "

Gaara did not reply, but instead turned to the Regalus girl. She was desperately trying not to meet his eyes and her body was slightly turned towards the beautifully engraved entrance.

"Yamanaka. Were there any departures at the temple recently? "

She had no choice but to turn back and face him.

"Why… um. I… I'm not too sure your majesty, I… "

"No one left? "

"…Hmm. No, really… it must have slipped my mind, haha. I'm so… deeply, … regretful."

Ino bowed her head down, her heart beating madly from anxiety.

Oh, she sucked at lying.

Gaara did not bother inquesting her any further, but instead turned to the elderly messenger.

"…they stole the carriage? "

"Yes, your majesty. I'm ...afraid they did. "

The side of Gaara's neck tensed, and for a moment, his anger shown through the cool composed outer layer that he employed at most times.

Observing this, the messenger was glad that he had not mentioned 'what' the envoy had been wearing…

The poor thing had returned wearing scratchy servant clothes- because it was either that or being butt naked.

"…Ksingard must be insulted. They must think we're spiting them on purpose by setting the meeting and not showing up. This must be notified immediately. "

"Of course, your majesty. "

Gaara thoughtfully paced the room a few steps, then ordered.

"Send another envoy along with a small troop, armed. Get them going straight off in the morning, timed to arrive at Ksingard by nightfall. "

"I will send the order to the foreign affiliation sector, your majesty. "

The messenger bowed and moved away, leaving the temple girl and Gaara alone.

The king eyed her with impassive eyes.

"What do you want. "

"…um. Oh… dear, I seem to have for…forgotten that as well! Deep… regrets, no, apologies… your majesty, ha. I… I'll go… so long! "

A stricken Ino rushed out of the room, her blonde ponytail flying.

Gaara eyed this with a critical eye, murmuring-

"That's why I don't get married… "

He settled down to sip his tea, freshly imported from Ksingard.

In the meantime, Ino hurriedly ran all the way to the main Regalus temple, all the way up to the top where her senior cleric- actually more like a sister figure- resided.

As soon as she reached the simple shaped humble doors, she hollered-

"Shizuneeee!! The stupid pervert man did it again! He's done it again!"

A raven haired women of perhaps 20, poked her head out of the door, her forehead creased in worry.

"Eh? Calm down, Ino-chan. Done what again? "

"Gone and made trouble of course!! "

Shizune waited paitently, until she was able to extract the whole situation out of the panting, frustrated Ino.

"…that…damned pervert hermit! "

Shizune made her 'disgusted-vulture' face.

Jiraiya and his assitant Naruto had been the only departures from the temple recently- and they had gone the same trail as the enoy had went. Considering how capable Jiraiya was of withstanding an attack, there was no chance the Regalus robes had been stolen.

In other words, it was Jiraiya himself that had attacked the envoy group and stolen the carriage.

What an ass of a situation… it was shitty enough that the government within the court loathed Regalus; they did not need any more attention!

Ino, meanwhile, curiously stared at her sensei… 'hermit'? Jiraiya was a priest, not a hermit.

But anyways, that's not important.

"We've got to notify this to everyone… make sure that, Jiraiya don't do any more harm to this temple than he's already has…"

"Eh? He's done more things before? "

"He once broke my prized teacup set by sitting on it- he was drunk at that time. "

"... I rest my case. "

While Shizune bustled around the room and collected herself to go and speak to the temple elders, Ino yet again, curiously eyed her.

She had always wanted to ask this particular question she was about to voice, but she had never bothered before.

"Shizune? "

"Hmm? What?"

"Why do you… tolerate him? "

"Eh? Tolerate who? Jiraiya you mean? "

Shizune stopped moving, and turned her head to look at Ino.

Ino shrugged nonchalantly and spoke.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but…I know he's a great demon slayer or whatever, and that he's good at his work… but I mean, he's a real crappy priest- he drinks, he gambles… he's a pervert to boot! Besides, he's always 'caused' trouble for Regalus, and I know how much the reputation of this temple means to you… just. Why? Why do you endure him? "

Shizune cocked her head to the side, a vague expression on her face, and then started laughing.

Ino gawked, alarmed by the sudden change.

Shizune giggled until the momentum passed, than answered, still smiling-

"Let's just say it's a legacy I have left from someone I was, very very close to… "

"Eh? Who? "

Ino clamored to Shizune, her face full of inquisitiveness.

"Can't say, but… hell, she wasn't that much a better person to be with than he was! "

"A she? Now you made me curious, who is it? Who?! "

Shizune ignored Ino's wailings, and turned her face to eye the sky out of the window.

The sky was cloudless for once. She grinned, somewhat bitterly.

'Hope you're living well, Tsnade-sama.

I wonder where you're living right now. '

(Bloodiedsugs's comments on DP-

Thank you for the comments, alerts and faves yet again! I really appreciate it…

And thank you pseudo-cynic89, for the comment …But I admit I like commas, they… 'Connect' a lot of things, lolz

Anyways:

-I find DP harder to write than HSBK … I have to make sure I get the plot correct and not stray… besides, the plot is too big; hm.

I have to read it over at least five times to make sure I have all the elements of the story I need in order for it to make sense...

Then another five times to make sure there's no typho... (ha, I still get typhos though, careless)

It might not have enough SasuHina to satisfy the readers, because of the plot thing, but… well, again, bear with me. Lolz.

- The characters might be really really different from the real thing, but I'm trying to get some Naruto mood in here, so... shrugs I'm trying.

One more thing- I'm focusing on SasuHina at the momet. NaruHina and ItaHina, I'm afraid, will come 'much' later… or soon enough, not too sure.

So wait for it!

So sorry that the story's moving on so slowly... there's tons to write. I'll try to get my ass moving, and update fast.

Bear with me. )


	5. Meetings of a different kind

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #5- Meetings of a different kind )

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Royal Palace Gardens)

It was springtime, and the royal gardens were drenched with the heavy floral scents of the beauties the gardeners tended to everyday. In the midst of the fragrance, three people stood- all three of them placed in a queer situation.

Hinata sat under a magnificent willow, on the bench fashioned out of rose wood, her hands demurely clasped over the history scroll she had been reading. Fresh tears stained her white vulnerable skin and she was still visibly shaken. Prince Sasuke was standing in front of her, his neck smelling faintly earthy and of sweat, due to the morning training session he's had with general Hatake.

And Neji. He was still behind the weepy willows, silent as a prowling cat.

Sasuke confronted the fazed Hinata another question, willing the conversation to move on further from what happened just five minutes ago- Hinata bawling and Sasuke not knowing what to do.

"…you afraid of me? "

It was a truthful and painful question.

It held everything that Sasuke wanted to know in a person. It was how he evaluated someone, his own criteria.

Hinata trembled once, but did not hesitate to say-

"Yes! "

There was an awkward silence.

She was frank.

"…you what? "

He was taken aback.

Secretly in his mind, Sasuke already had the script planned out- every single girl that he's asked that question, they all answered no. A few of them were just plain lying to not get him aggravated. Most of them pretended to 'understand' him, and that's what infuriated him the most.

Bullshit. Those yapping bitches will never know.

He didn't feel much guilt bedding them, not at all. It became a routine, a vicious circle.

But this was a first. This shy cowering girl was the first ever to actually last this long- he hadn't felt annoyed or mad all this time he's been with her.

He didn't feel like sleeping with her, for one thing.

"I…oh… I shouldn't have sa… no no, but I am afraid. I'm s… sorry, I really am! "

She stuttered, her eyes shut tight and face ghostly pale.

Again, that feeling.

It was that curious feeling he was not accustomed to…

He felt like laughing, again? This was atypical, it rarely happened.

No. It never happened; what the hell was going on here?

"Why? Why are you afraid of me? "

Sasuke inquired, though he was fully aware of how uncomfortable he was making the girl. He pretty much expected her to bluntly tell him about his tainted reputation, or rumors about the girls he bedded. Or she might say outright, confront him about that incident when he had crossed the line and became too aggressive- if she even knew about that.

Or she might, god forbid, go with the same routine- pretend with the sympathetic tone, to 'understand' him.

He waited for her to voice the mundane, the way he always got it from the other girls when he asked them the same question.

But she surprised him again with her childlike naive observation.

"You're always wearing the same expression as my father when he's about to yell at me… "

Another silence.

Sasuke could not stop himself this time.

He laughed out loud. Hard.

Hinata cracked open an eye in alarm to see the infamous bastard prince actually bowed in mirth.

Behind the willows, Neji was standing with held breath. He was going to intervene if the prince was bent on hurting Hinata- he really was going to. He was only vaguely informed about prince Sasuke, just lightly enough that most of his characteristics remained nebulous. Still, he got a bad vibe from the bastard prince, even though nothing visibly distressing was happening- yet.

Then suddenly, something unusual happened.

He heard the young prince laughing, genuinely.

This was unheard of.

"Alright, alright. You're … different. I admit it. You're amusing, for a girl. "

Sasuke calmly said after recollecting himself.

Hinata tensed, especially at the 'for a girl' part. But the prince did not seem to wish for anything vulgar. He had been only laughing, and that was it. Nothing more.

"I think it'll be entertaining… to see you around. You amuse me. "

Hinata felt a bit indignant at that comment. She wished to be something more than just 'an amusement', but she also felt lucky that what had happened to so many others were not happening to her- he wasn't trying to get into her bed.

Her head shyly moved upwards. She finally raised her head and met his face fully, the sunlight reflecting off her eyes.

Her eyes were lavender. He liked it.

"…y…es? You're not mad? For me… lying? "

"Relax. I'm not going to hurt you. It's just a proposal, I just wouldn't mind seeing you around. "

The prince shrugged nonchalantly and straightened up. He turned to walk away, than revolved to speak once more.

"By the way, tell the poor guy to come out. He's been hiding out for the full half hour, I suppose. Your cousin, wasn't he? "

Both Hinata and Neji were stunned at this statement.

But prince Sasuke did not wait around to check if there really was a Neji hiding out behind the willows, which of course, there was.

There were other matters to be decided.

The prince ambled off to the vast main dome, forgetting completely that King Itachi had personally required his presence in the information sector this morning. Besides, Sasuke wasn't fond of Hidan. He decided to skip the session. He moved on to the main hall.

It was here that everything started to fall apart.

Sasuke walked a few more steps alongside the massive corridors- coming face to face with an anxious looking blonde youth about his age.

They almost collided, but stopped just in time.

Sasuke scowled, his good mood ruined, and shot at the stranger-

"…who the hell are you. "

The blonde, slightly aggressive looking young man answered back.

"Who the hell are 'you'? "

When prince Sasuke had said yesterday that he had a hunch that things were going to get interesting, he probably hadn't been expecting this.

--

(Ksingard Cydia, royal court training square)

Out of the main training squares, a tall figure was ambling by, holding up limply a long sheath and a katana.

General Inuzuka absent mindedly whistled off-key, his red hair matted with sweat and cool water. Another passing figure noticed him and called by.

"Inuzuka, where to? "

It was General Hatake, and since Kiba was a third rank general while Kakashi a first, he did not react to just being called 'Inuzuka', as if he was some unknowing sentry.

Actually, he grinned at his senpai.

"Ah, general. I'm dropping by on Kabuto. "

Kakashi eyed him dubiously.

"You're injured? "

Kiba grinned easily.

"I have news for him. "

Kakashi raised his eyes mildly.

"What kind of news? "

"…well, a kind that cannot be told by sending a court messenger. "

Kakashi smiled, recalling that time when Inuzuka had sent Shino to send a joke-message to him, on April fools day. The message was for the generals to each send Shino on 'another' errand, making him go around in circle. Shino had played along wonderfully- until he realized he was being tricked. But it was not until he'd completely gone around the court twice until he realized it.

Shino paid back by sending a quite different message to this girl Kiba used to see, pretending that Kiba had sent him.

With a marriage proposal.

It had been an incredibly amusing day.

In any case, Kiba and Shino did not mix.

"You should hurry back. Your troop is waiting out in the sun for you to come. "

Kakashi told the clownish Kiba who was reminiscing the incident with somewhat mixed mirth and bitterness.

"Sure, I will. In time. "

Kakashi and Kiba parted ways, Kakashi to the informational dome and Kiba to the medical sector in the military dome of the royal court.

Kabuto's 'lair' was right in the heart of the medical sector- a regular prodigy. Usually, men as young has him only got to work on the sides. Or, worse, they had to move around the court, waiting to serve whomever that happened to crossed their way.

Kabuto was a gifted man.

"Oi, Kabuto, you there? "

"…eh? Kiba? What is it? "

"I have news. "

Kabuto poked his head out, the front of his robes stained with some kind of a mashed herb. He looked sulky; his medicines must have not been mixing well.

Kiba grinned, and stepped into the room.

He spoke immediately as soon as the door was closed.

"Care to recall the envoy with the temple boy? Turns out they're fakes. Phonies. "

Kiba enjoyed seeing the look spread on Kabuto's face.

Kabuto might be a fucking genius in medical shit, but he sucked at 'catching on' in other matters. A bit of a blockhead with girls.

"No shit? …What about the envoy? Has Arudan not bothered to send an envoy at all? "

Kiba shrugged, setting his head down on a spotless counter and- much to the dismay of Kabuto- smearing his sweat on the surface.

"At any rate, I don't think King Itachi would be danincg for joy. We've just been insulted, sand kicked into our face, spit falling from the sky. Shino farting flies on me. Something like that. "

Kabuto chuckled over the description, then turned a fold, his expression malicious.

"I know someone who'd be rejoicing over this. "

Kiba slowly raised his head, one of his eyes snapping open.

"Who? "

Kabuto sat down opposite of his mercenary comrade, and spat out the name.

"Hidan. "

Kiba did not disagree.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)

'wait a minute ...'

Naruto had been feeling a slight bit rebellious, due to his already giving up on the entire situation, but a new sense of doom set in once he scrutinized the robes the raven haired guy was wearing.

Sasuke had on a plain enough robe in his standards: a simple fuchsia variety- but lined with pure silk and with embroideries of a silver dragon,  
'real silver', which happened to be the royal emblem of Ksingard's court.

Naruto felt another bout of indigestion coming through-

Shit… this guy was royalty.

"… uh. "

Sasuke's inexpressive face gave an once-over Naruto's fawn robe. He frowned in suspicion, the left side of his lips curling.

"I've never seen those kinds of robes before at Cydia."

Naruto cringed at the point- he did not get a good vibe from this guy.

He quickly decided that the best way to deal with the situation would be to reply as swiftly and accurately as possible.

"…Regalus. I'm a temple boy, from- "

Naruto's head whirled, fast forwarding. If he told this royalty guy where he was from, he could easily drop right into trouble.

He bet that by this time, the real envoy would have returned to Arudan's court… Regalus's main temple must be in a whole lot of trouble at the moment, if the envoy had elaborated on the description of the crazy priest that had attacked him. Shizune will murder Jiraiya and him both for causing havoc… Touché.

He quickly named an area far away from the main temple.

"-from, uh, Brucksdun mountains. "

Sasuke's curiosity increased ten-fold.

Brucksdun Mountain was a mine placed in eastern Arudan.

"…I was not aware that there was a Regalus temple at the Brucksdun mines. "

"…hm. It's new. "

Sasuke's body leaned back, his arms crossing. The sleek fuchsia sleeves were thrown back, and arms rigged with ropy muscles were visible. Naruto wryly noted this with a pinched expression.

"Arudan's built a temple next to a mining site? You people are real barbarians, aren't you? "

Sasuke spoke in a condescending tone, his arrogant eyes gleaming with deformed amusement. Naruto flinched, but his conscience told him that it was better sense to remain unruffled…

Too late.

"We ain't the ones with the scandals. "

He shot back with a scowl, and it was only after a few seconds that he realized what libel he's committed. He stepped back a few in horror, hoping that his revulsion did not show up on his face.

Sasuke's face was a cloudy sky, a dark vicious look gathered in his eyes.

When he spoke, the words were acidic and spiked with malice.

"I'm guessing you don't fucking know who I am. "

Naruto answered back dimly-

"…uh. You're royalty? "

Sasuke's mouth distorted up into a twisted smirk as he took a few steps forward to the unknowing blonde 'temple boy'.

"No, I ain't royalty, can't you tell? "

Naruto was confused- he took back another step, but this time, Sasuke followed suit like a guarded panther. He spoke again.

"Cuz in Ksingard's books, royalties are supposed to be pure blood… that's some load of crap, isn't it? Blood can be pure. Mixed blood doesn't count. It's dirty. So… "

Naruto had a hazy but awful premonition of what was about to happen next.

At the exact moment he thought of the particular notion, Sasuke's right hand shot out and roughly grabbed the neckline of his robes. Sasuke brought his face up close, head cocked sideways, and hissed viciously into Naruto's ears.

"I'm the scandal, you fucking twit. I'm the bastard prince- heard of me, haven't you? I'm kind of famous in your country, I heard…"

Naruto convulsed in alarm and attempted to twist off, but the incensed prince held fast.

"…as the butt-end of a joke, ain't that true? I'm a great laugh, aren't I? "

"Whoa, no no no …"

"Shut up! I'm speaking here… fucking barbarian…"

Naruto grimaced.

This was all well, but…

His shoulders had been aching magnificently the whole time he's been here in Ksingard worse than ever before and this gave him a bad intuition. He wasn't entirely sure if the demonic aura was stronger in Ksingard- Jiraiya never mentioned- but there was no mistaking it.

Whatever that lay latent in his arm, it could wake up any moment.

'No. '

He only mouthed the words, but the ever-alert Sasuke quickily caught on.

"No, what? "

"...eh... really, I suggest... I have a condition. "

Sasuke's eyes narrowed dangerously, his expression skeptical.

"...what kind. "

"I have a skin that burst full of piss if you apply any pressure on it... very dirty. I suggest you don't try... "

Sasuke blew his fuse.

"You fucking moron, is that your famous Arudan sense of humor?! Am I laughing?! "

'...of course he wouldn't believe that, stupid stupid... I shoudl've said something more realistic... dang"

Naruto muttered under his breath- 'please don't keep this up prince, please, if you don't wish to die. '

He wished Jiraiya was here, but the 'great' demon slayer was at the meeting with the king.

Surprisingly, they both were not dead...yet. It all depeneded on whatever crap the old man could muster up.

But it seemed Naruto was caught up in his own trouble already.

As Sasuke's hand clatched down on his throat, he hoped for an alternative.

'You're just aiding in waking up the monster in me. '

His arms are shaking- danger sign.

Oh come on, why didn't he take the piss?

'It won't be my fault.

Because it won't be my actions. '

(Bloodiedsugs's words on DP-

Sorry this is late;

Sasuke and Naruto finally meets... fighting away as usual ;;

Story's progressing so slowly.. I might as well kill it --

this session's not too funny, I'm not proud of it...

but its the best I could do for now T.T sorry, busy nowadays...

Bear with me. )


	6. The demon in him

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #6- The demon in him)

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)

It was the first question Jiraiya threw at the king of Ksingard.

"Do you believe in legends, King Itachi? "

Itachi merely stared at Jiraiya impassively.

Jiraiya shrugged once.

"Right, you don't seem the romantic type. "

Behind them, Hidan stifled a snort- romantic Itachi, god forbid, was just as horrible to think about as Shino wearing a ballet tutu and wielding a butcher knife.

Also, he was quite disappointed that Itachi had not killed the imposter right away… but perhaps; he was playing around a bit. Waiting for the right time to strike.

The temple boy waited outside.

"What's your point? It's strange that you haven't attempted to run away, or beg me to save your life. Tell me, stranger, what are you? "

Itachi spoke slowly, his bland eyes locked on Jiraiya's face. It was a wary but relaxed look. Truthfully speaking, he had a roomful of servants, and he himself wasn't that bad of a fighter. Naturally, his safety was ensured.

"That's not really important, because it is actually 'what' I'd tell that will make up who I am. Am I to go on? Or have you lost your interest? "

Itachi's brow creased for a fleeting moment. His grip on the iron chair handle loosened.

"Go on. "

"Thank you. "

Instead of going any further, Jiraiya suddenly stood up from the chair he was placed in, causing a scramble among the alarmed sentries and servants present.

"Do you know about the legend of the tailed beasts? "

Jiraiya actually heard a snicker from the back of the room, but the king was not fazed. He did not react at all.

"…you should realize that this could be the last tale you'll be telling to the world. Perhaps a better pick of storytelling would suffice. "

Jiraiya chuckled although the tension in the room had reached its peak.

"Ah, so you don't believe in it. "

"Is there a reason I should? "

Jiraiya's composure did not budge at Itachi's condescending tone.

Instead, he tried another tactic.

"My king, aren't you ever aware of the threatening force that had been gathering at the south of your country? The force that had been growing ever since the rise of a new sovereignty? "

Itachi's grip tightened on the handle. He had an incredulous look on his face.

Arudan. The threat on the southern parts of Ksingard.

"What has your storytelling got to do with Arudan? "

Jiraiya smiled.

"I have information to offer, at the expense of me and my assistant, Naruto's life. About the king of Arudan. Should I elaborate? "

Itachi narrowed his eyes.

"…are you betraying your home country? "

"Why, I never said Arudan was my home country. "

Hidan creeped to the back of the room where he would be less seen. It was easier there to crane his neck and listen to every single word that was being said.

Itachi spoke quietly, a low key of threat present in his words.

"…where are you from? If you breathe a word of anything but the truth, your head would be off your body in less than it would take me to open my mouth. "

Jiraiya only smiled at his threat, his aged mouth stretching in a somewhat sinister way. He seemed good natured, but once you got closer, there was something else present in his eyes.

"I…eh, I'm afraid, am from nowhere. I'm one of the last people of the former Ksingard. Lost land of Mother Nature? "

Itachi stood up, a dark look gathering in his eyes.

"No, that's a lie. Every single one of them was killed in the genocide centuries ago. I've had conmen and liars claiming to be the sons and daughters of former Ksingard- every single one of them was beheaded. That story is so old; it might as well be a fairy tale. Do you 'wish' to die, old priest? "

Jiraiya merely shrugged, and Hidan thought with an alarmed face- that man was bent on dying. He must be out of his mind.

Hidan smirked psychotically, his mouth turned upwards.

He was ecstatic.

Maybe there would be a beheading this night afterall.

--

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Royal Palace Gardens)

"What…exactly is your… relationship with the prince? "

Neji quietly asked his cousin sister, who was sitting silently on the bench. Her small hands tightened on the corner of the book.

"…Nothing. ."

"…nothing? "

"…I lied to him, that's it. "

Neji cocked his head in confusion- that prince didn't look like he's got anything else but lust in mind… what the hell did he want with Hinata?

Bed her?

Neji scowled.

No fucking way. Neji would never let that happen. Nor would Hiashi.

"Is…it weird Neji? I know I should feel…scared. Of him. But I'm not, really…"

Neji was not entirely sure how to assure the anxious Hinata.

"…nah. It's not weird. Who knows? He might be a decent guy. "

But what Neji had in mind was different.

He was vigilant.

"Hey, Hinata. I think we shoul…"

There was a sudden whoosh of air, too strong to be natural, coming from the main hallway.

It cut through all the way from the entire length of the hallway, and thrashed a willow that was positioned right in front of the arches.

Neji and Hinata stood stagnant for a short nervous second, confused.

"W…what was that? "

Neji's mind quickily whirled- an attack on the palace? But from where?

He swiftly turned to the frightened Hinata and ordered.

"…Hinata, stay here…no, get inside the dome. I'll be back real soon. "

"But!!... Neji?! "

Neji ran off to the direction where the unearthly wind had come through.

And Hinata, still afraid to be left alone,… followed him.

--

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Main dome)

Sasuke was silent for a moment.

Something had just thrown him off.

Something red and glowing that had sprouted from Naruto's left arm.

It shot through and 'slapped' him, making his body fly a few feet sideways from where he'd been standing.

He rose from the ground slowly, wiping the blood from where his lower lip had busted. He was glaring at the ground, unsure of what had happened.

"Oh, holy fucking mother of god!! Jesus, Mary and the godforsaken ugly sheep! "

This was what Naruto was screeching away just seconds after the red 'thing' had assaulted Sasuke. He's already forgotten telling off Jiraiya for swearing- his mouth was turning black at the moment.

Sasuke probably wasn't aware of this but; Naruto's mind was in a torrent.

He's just battered, ...the prince of Ksingard?! Nevermind if he's a bastard prince!!

He might as well start a war.

"You…"

"Look, look. This isn't what it seems!! "

"What the hell is that?! "

"Wha…?"

"That!! Red… fuckwit, what is it?! "

Naruto was dumbfounded.

Sasuke did not bother speaking any longer.

He straightened up and darted, emptying one of his sheaths by pulling out the sword.

He always used two swords, but this guy…

"No, oh. No no no !! "

The red glow stopped Sasuke's sword before it hit Naruto.

Sasuke glared, his face reading 'I knew it would do that', and instead clasped his hand roughly around Naruto's neck.

Naruto, in turn, pushed down harder on his left hand, which was dancing with fury seeing the target in near sight.

They were both breathing hard- Naruto, because he was trying to manage his out-of-control hand, and Sasuke, due to the hard physical 'labor' he was forced to do.

When he thought things would get interesting…

He should have never said that. Did Kakashi make his premonition true or what?

Instead of grumbling crazy thoughts into his mind, he asked a simple question to the boy standing in front of him.

"…what are you? "

"…can you see it too? "

They spoke at the same time.

The two were locked in a queer embrace; Sasuke holding onto Naruto's neck with his sword drawn and Naruto's left arm pulling away in its own accord, in attempt to lash out.

"Of course I can see the fucking thing!! What are you up to? Are you a demon? "

"Hell no!! I'm a human, just like you! "

Naruto pouted, and then frowned.

He's never met another that could see… what lived inside his arm.

This was a first.

Long before, before temple Regalus took him in and he started living in Arudan, he used to live in a small region under Fleorte.

A tiny village called Verdane.

Everyone thought him a monster, because even though the killings 'happened', no one saw anything. Everyone thought it was him that did it.

Well.

But that's a story suited for another time.

Right time, there are other matters to take care of.

"Look, prince? Please, really, it's better to run off before this… argh! Just go! Leave me!! "

"The hell I'm leaving you!! When you could run off and start mass murder?! "

"Oh come on!!"

Suddenly, there was another commotion.

"Prince Sas…. Wha…?!

Neji had arrived.

"Neji?! "

And Hinata.

Naruto grieved.

"No, no, no!! This isn't right!! People, get outta the way!! "

Neji took a double-take at the prince's bruised face and the blonde stranger, and another twitch when he turned back to find a meek Hinata right behind him.

He threw up his hands, turning his back.

"Hinata?! I thought I told you to stay b…"

The red glow moved instantly.

It flicked out again, shooting through thin air.

But only Naruto and Sasuke could see.

"Hyuga!! Move!! "

Sasuke shouted hurriedly, but it was too late.

The glow slammed into Neji, who hadn't been aware of anything, and knocked him into the stone wall, rendering him unconscious.

Hianta screamed.

Sasuke jerked back his head and yelled at Naruto.

"What the fuck are you up to?! "

But Naruto wasn't listening. His eyes were wide open and cold sweat matted his hair.

He felt a shiver down his spine and his left arm slowly lifted up to the direction of the court girl that had just appeared behind the unfortunate guy.

The arm was telling him- next target.

"Oh shit…move, girl, move!! Get outta the way!! "

Naruto hollered fit, but Hinata was rooted to the ground.

Something, was not right.

As she could see, there was only the blonde boy and prince Sasuke present, but… there was something else. She could feel it.

It felt sinister.

(Bloodiedsug's words on DP-

Hi, I'm sorry I'm late... again T.T

Actually I was planning on to make this session way longer, but I cut it short, just to update a bit faster;

I don't know seriously, what I'd do with HSBK...

I suck at describing action packed fight scenes.

So.

Bear with me. lolz.)


	7. The demon in him II

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #7- The demon in him II)

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Main dome)

"Do…something… I can't… control it for…v…ery long, y'know… "

Naruto pleaded to Sasuke in a wrenching voice.

He strained, his face distorted, his right arms pressing down on his left.

The red aura stretched out even as further as twenty times his arm length and was gaining distance.

Even Sasuke was still.

"Get moving! Come on!! "

Naruto roared at the still figures rooted to the ground- three, if you counted Neji who was spread on the ground unconscious.

No one moved.

Naruto shouted out once more, his voice raw and cracked.

"I said 'MOVE'!! "

The red thing gained height, looming across the meadow in an ominous fashion, and Sasuke jumped up.

He pulled the other blade out of its sheath and wielded the two swords. But he was lost at what to do- would the blade even cut into that thing?

Hinata, meanwhile, was lost for words, her body shuddering with unknowing fear.

"…I… I'm… "

It suddenly shot out in speed, rushing through the air, causing another bout of wind. Hinata felt something coming- the air pierced her cheek, staining her skin with blood.

"Fucking hell!! "

Sasuke did not bother to think. He threw away the swords.

He darted and leapt.

He crashed into the frail Hinata by leaping, making her dodge the sinister red glowing hand. Her eyes were wide open and staring into empty space- she could not… see what was trying to attack her.

The hand swiped his back instead, cutting into the fabric, and he fell onto the ground, cursing. Surprisingly, real blood seeped out from the wound.

Hinata gasped and shrank down.

The prince was on fours on top of her, and his blood was dripping on to her robes.

Their eyes met.

'…Lavender. "

As stupid as it sounded, that was the first thought that entered his head.

Her eyes were lavender.

"…p…prince…s…Sas.."

She was horror-struck at all the blood seeping down her face.

What was going on?

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)

"You…don't think I would believe this, priest? "

Itachi spoke slowly, his head turning.

A servant quickly moved out of the way, his form poised, as if he'd been waiting all along to step aside and clear vision for his king.

"Well. Perhaps you would kindly ignore the part about former Ksingard, and focus on the main subject at hand. "

"The tailed beasts? "

Itachi's words had a tone of spite in it; everyone in the room seemed to get it… except Jiraiya.

He quickly snatched the chance to talk about it.

"Of course, the tailed beasts. They say, having one of those creatures can bring endless power to a country, albeit the fact that those creatures, are…"

"Extremely hard to tame and cannot exist in its original state alone. It needs a host. "

Itachi finished the sentence for him.

Jiraiya blinked his eyes, a favorable smile spreading on his face.

"So you are quite informed on the matter. "

Itachi almost, not quite, but almost rolled his eyes.

"Yes, I was informed at a very early age. I was taught everything about the tailed beasts… "

"Yes, than you would understand that i…"

" …at bedtime, as a 'bedtime' story. "

Ouch.

Hidan smirked, feeling anxious for the kill about to come.

Once Itachi had his blade out… it was only a matter of time.

"…well, king of Ksingard. I come with a proposition, that might really assist your country in every way… if only I could elaborate on…"

"Enough. "

Itachi's hands curled around the base of the handle on the sword.

Hidan grinned- showtime.

That was when the servant rushed in with a white face, panting and desperate.

"K…y…your majesty!! There's… some…something's happening at the eastern part of the dome… it…a…"

Hidan deflated but the tension in the room moved off to another direction. Every attention was suddenly focused onto the panting servant.

"…a…a demon!! Prince Sasuke is in danger…and the Hyug…it's him!! "

The servant screeched all of a sudden, his arm extended to the direction where Jiraiya stood, unaware.

"Him!! Your majesty… the temple boy, or thing… that 'that man' had brought in!! He's a demon!! He's the cause for the abnormal wind!!"

Everyone turned back to look at the Regalus priest, suddenly tagged as the foundation of evil.

Jiraiya himself did not too mind being tagged such, but something else was ailing his mind. His assistant.

He's known Ksingard has a stronger affinity for demons upon the land, but this was too early. Whatever that had laid dormant must be evolving on its own accord.

Jiraiya's eyes opened wider in horror, the truth finally sinking into his mind.

'Naruto… '

Naruto had been wrong when he thought his sensei had not noticed anything queer about him.

As a matter of fact, Naruto's arm was the reason Jiraiya agreed to the assistant charade.

It was an excuse to bring him into Ksingard.

--

(Heart of Arudan, Royal palace court, Discussion hall)

"Your majesty, the envoy is sent. "

"Good. You can go. "

Gaara sat back on his stiff wooden seat, engraved with dozens of meticulous lines- all auspicious symbols and signs.

He closed his eyes.

As he leaned back and felt the wood press into his skin, he thought once more of how much money was spent foolishly on matters that were of scant significance. Like for example, the engravings.

He could do without the engravings.

"Your majesty? "

…another person with another miserable tow of conflicts that needs to be taken care of.

He opened his eyes to find a raven headed Regalus cleric standing with a determined face.

"I am Shizune from the main temple. I… I have come to inform you on a matter that might interest you. "

"Interest me? "

"Yes. And I also hope you would… promise me one thing, too. "

The king raised his brow at that.

People rarely asked him to 'promise' them.

"…that would depend on what you are about to tell me. Go on. "

Shizune swallowed the lump in her throat, hoping to heaven and hell that what she was about to do was for the good of the majority.

"There actually was, departures at the temple…actually, one. "

"…and? "

"…I am pretty sure that preist who went... is not.. coming back. "

"He abandoned Arudan? "

"…well. Technically, if you put it that way…"

Gaara mused over the situation for a second, and looked over to the anxious cleric that stood with a queerly dogged look on her face.

"But my king,… I don't think he'd do anything that would cause harm to Arud…"

"I know what you want me to promise. "

Gaara cut in, his face bland.

"You want me to promise you not to kill him. "

"Haha… well. I guess that's the main point. "

"No. "

Gaara looked away, and Shizune felt a nervous pang in her heart.

The only way Gaara could have attained the throne was by severe adherence to rules and ruthless decision-making. He was not the lenient type.

If he had been, he'd have been dead and buried six feet deep a long time ago.

"But your majesty, he's going to come back. "

"You just said he's not coming back. "

"…he's not coming back for a 'long' time. He'd come back… after he achieved what he means to do. "

"And that is? "

Gaara tapped his fingers lightly on the handle- his sign of impatience.

A smart enough person caught on straight away and stopped whatever that was irritating him, but fools kept on with their charade.

Shizune decided to risk it.

"Wake up the ninth tailed beast. "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)

"Open the door. See what's happening. "

Itachi ordered promptly.

The servants quickly threw open the engraved doors.

A huge gust of wind gushed inside the moment there was space between the twin doors. It was strong enough to throw down a couple of people and the chair that lay nearest to the door.

King Itachi remained pokerfaced, despite the commotion his servants were bringing up, preaching about 'angry gods' and 'evil sins of court'.

"Wha… he brought a demon into the court!! "

Another servant that had been thrown screamed from the floor while pointing at Jiraiya. The first that had come with the news inched away, his face full of fear of the unknown.

Jiraiya merely shrugged again.

Itachi walked over to the side of the room, closer to Jiraiya, and ordered to Hidan. Hidan hurriedly regained posture; he had been stiff against the wall all this time.

"…demon or not, we have to get rid of whatever it is. Hidan, contact the military dome and call out general Ha…"

"No. "

Jiraiya suddenly ordered.

And Itachi glared at him.

"You are not in a position to order anyone around… priest. "

"As a matter of face, my king, if you go out right now, or anyone else at that matter,… you might be killed. "

Itachi promptly drew a long blade from his sheath and laid it near Jiraiya's neck, his face as inexpressive as a stone wall.

"How about now? "

Jiraiya raised both his hands up jokingly, smiling good naturedly.

He raised his head up, as if to listen for something, than merely pointed outside.

King Itachi looked, though disbelieving.

There was a silence, in which even the servants were straining their ears, anxious and cowering.

Through the open door, he could see a thousand year old willow crash down.

Which was weird because the servant had said the 'demon' was in the eastern part of the dome… the garden stood more than a hundred meters away, across the hallways.

Then he understood: wind.

The fall could be seen clearly; cutting to the left of the main hall, it was only the stone wall that divided the palace gardens from the antechamber.

Everything that stood taller than the wall could be seen from here.

Thus, they saw the willow fall.

By what exactly?

Itachi swiftly turned to the priest, his face finally showing a bit of the rage that had been coursing through him the entire week.

"…what do you have out there? I thought Regalus priests got rid of demons, not cater after them. "

"No no, that's not a demon … in itself, at least. "

Itachi and the rest of the servants glared at him, half in fear and half in curiosity.

"That's, King Itachi, is your answer to the threat of Arudan. "

"…what? "

Hidan took a step back. This is wrong.

Something out of norm is happening.

He was supposed to be the info master of Ksingard…

What was happening here?

"You are not saying that you have a host of a tailed beast in tow. "

Jiraiya suddenly enunciated- his posture formal and respecting.

"…I apologize for me intruding into your country like this. But. I have a few things I need to accomplish. And I think I can assist you, assist Ksingard, in the process. "

"With that demon you brought? You think I'm a fool. "

"That kid alone could bring down an entire army... if proper training is given and we're able to control him. "

Itachi stood reticent, as the Regalus priest from Arudan poured sweet poison into his ears.

That.

Did sound tempting.

Why?

Ksingard has been on weak legs for decades. It was losing power as the supreme power among the countries, and now even weaklings like Fleorte and Desvon was revolting.

Itachi alone, as capable as he was, could not handle the years of scandals and social corruption that had taken root in the court of Ksingard.

He needed, power.

But please.

This man? This… Regalus priest?!

He was from Arudan, for god's sake.

Besides, he could be setting him up. He's got some nerve barging into the heart of Cydia pretending to be the envoy, than racking up the court with a whole bout of nonsense about demons and solutions.

Nevertheless, it sounded tempting.

If this priest was setting him up… he's got to give the guy this at least- he's got some nerve.

Itachi withdrew his sword, not reluctantly, but with determined resolution.

Pretty good at politics, too.

(Bloodiedsug's words on DP-

I meant to finish off the part about Naruto's demon and finally get started with the real story…

I don't know about the readers, but this story's kind of big, and it's really…Slow! OTL

It takes me about 3 hours to finish a session… I write the main stories I about thirty minutes, but to link them and include other plots and things I need to add to get the story to make sense… kill me.

Anyways, just some things to point out:

-Jiraiya's not a bad guy… you'll learn what happens, probably much later, but oh well. I'm slow.

-Oh, and by the way, all the stuff about wind? I just included it because in the manga, Naruto is 'wind'. Lolz. Just toying with the originals.

-I've been just reminded of the thing I loved most about Naruto…

It's serious, full of angst and great plot, all that, but…

I love the funny moments.

The next session will be funny, I promise (I'm not very good at keeping promises though;)

Bear with me. )


	8. The demon in him III

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #8- The demon in him III)

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Main dome)

Naruto waved farewell to the poor willow.

He was losing strength- the arm was gaining on him.

It never was this hard to control the hand… Ksingard must be either pulsing or rather, the demon in his arm had evolved.

Perhaps, both.

"What will make it stop?! "

Sasuke shouted from the other end of the stone wall, shakily standing with an arm supporting his back. The wound was bleeding freely, and fresh blood seeped into the dry grass.

Naruto grimaced at the pitiful sight.

He replied, completely forgetting for that moment that Sasuke was a prince, and he, a mere assistant of a pervert sensei.

"Nothing I can think of!! "

It was true.

Jiraiya, being a demon-slayer, might have a solution, but he was nowhere to be seen. Also, Jiraiya might drop him off like a hot potato if he realized that he was towing around a real live demon possessed soul.

Hinata stepped back a little, her arms wrapping around herself, shivering.

What… was it exactly that the prince and the blonde boy were seeing? Why couldn't 'she' see it?

"You… step back. "

"…huh? "

The prince was talking to her.

"That thing has its mind set on you it seems. You're the first it'll go for if you stay. "

"B…but. "

Hinata tried to mention with frantic distress- the wound in the prince's back that was spurting red. A regular fountain.

"But what? "

He turned to look at her, his impatient expression all too calm for a person that had just been attacked and losing blood by the gallon.

Maybe not a gallon, but still quite a lot.

"He's…right. Come on, Hinata. "

A warm hand was placed on her shoulder.

It was Neji, standing crookedly, sporting a black-blue bruise on the side of his face.

He must have just woken.

"N…Neji, are you okay?! "

"It is what I'd like to ask the prince. "

Neji replied, staring grimly at the gash on Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed disgustedly, raising his shoulders once in a shrug.

"I'm fine. Go. "

Neji stood firm, a weary expression on his face. He protectively placed a hand by his side, keeping Hinata at bay, and spoke up.

"Prince Sasuke. I'm a servant of the royal court too. It's my duty to protect you before me or Hinata. "

Saske grunted.

"Whatever. Go, and take her with you for god's sake. "

"But pri…"

"Fucking hell, you heard me. It's an order. "

Neji stiffened, his sense of chivalry clashing acutely with his obedience.

But it was Naruto who cleared his decision.

"Pleeeease go, dude!! This arm…. Loves… targets… the less people, the better!! "

Neji thought it was genuinely weird; the attacker did not seem like the attacker.

Was the blonde boy being possessed?

Anyhow, there were no time to think, he had to quickly get Hinata out of here; he could come back later after taking her to safety. Then, then he'll worry about the prince.

"Come on, Hinata!! "

"..N…eji, but! "

"We have to go! "

It was when they were standing still, unsure and anxious, that the red glow decided to move again.

But it wasn't aimed at Hinata, nor Neji.

The prince stood slightly crooked, and raised his head to see just in time the red glow moving.

Sasuke realized- it's coming for me.

Naruto saw through the arm's intentions too, and groaned in exasperation.

He was about to kill the bastard prince of Ksingard.

God no.

"Run, prince RUN!! "

Sasuke almost wanted to laugh; how could he run? The arm was only a few meters away… it might as well go right through his ey…

Suddenly a knife cut through the air, jabbing through the red aura with surprising accuracy.

It passed through without barriers.

'What…?'

Naruto felt a searing pain, but the red glow itself finally subsided, retreating back into his left hand. It must have used up too much of its strength trying to break out, or else it wouldn't have given in so easily. He knew.

He crouched down into the grass, scrunching his eyes as he felt the moment pass. He was spread on the ground, heaving and panting.

Thank god.

It was gone.

For now.

Bended over with his eyes closed, he heard the voices of two men speaking.

"Smart one, Yamato! Man, that was a close call. "

"Are you alright, prince Sasuke? "

Sasuke rose from the ground, wiping blood from his face with the back of his hand. He looked up to find a stocky man with brown hair staring at him in a formal, respecting posture, with general Inuzuka just a few steps away.

Court's demon slayer, Yamato.

He looked at the ground, where the knife had fallen. The knife was gone.

That was a mana dagger- it did not truly have form.

They were lucky the whatever knew to retreat- if not, who knew what would have happened?

"King Itachi just sent us… we hoped we weren't too late. "

"You aren't. "

Sasuke collapsed immediately, feeling his legs give out.

There was no reason to stand anymore. The thing was gone.

As he sat simmering in his own blood, he thought, why did I ever go do such a crazy thing?

I am usually such a selfish bastard, I don't 'save' people.

I only save my own ass... but this time.

Kiba bent over the blanked out prince, creasing his brow in worry.

Hinata suddenly broke away from Neji, and timidly approached.

She spoke, her voice trembling.

"Th…thank you for… saving me. "

The prince did not look up.

"… you're not hurt? "

"…n...no. "

Sasuke felt acute relief. Then he felt like smacking the side of his head.

He was crazy, crazy. This wasn't like him at all.

He'd very much like to go back being the bastard, thankyouverymuch. He doesn't want Itachi thinking he'd gone too soft and easy.

He wanted to be as hard as hell. As difficult as he could be.

But this damned martyr act made him look like a ...a prince.

It made him very cranky.

"You can go now. "

Hinata flicked her eye up in alarm; his voice sounded angry.

Neji placed a hand on her arm, one eye swollen shut from the spreading bruise.

"Let's go, Hinata. Your father waits. He is worried. "

Hinata hesitantly bowed to the injured prince, and slowly backed out with her cousin.

Kiba waited for a short interval, then bent his knees to help the prince up.

"Prince Sasuke, you should go to Kabuto… here, let m…"

"I can walk. "

His cranky mood did not subside, and his rashly threw off Kiba's supporting hands, and started walking off on his own. Naruto was being carried along too, exhausted and wasted, by two guards that the general had called in.

After the rest had left and Sasuke was taken to the medical dome along with Naruto, general Kiba turned to Yamato in wonder.

"How did ya know where to hit? I couldn't see a thing! Is it like some, special force you get when you're a demon-slayer? "

Yamato walked on, and Kiba kept pace.

His face was somewhat creased with an uneasy uncertainty.

"I couldn't see it just as much as you could, general Kiba. "

"No, drop the general, just call me Kiba. You know it's all right. But… what d'you mean you couldn't see? How did you hit it straight on then? Like a third eye? Or mayb…"

"I guessed. "

Kiba stopped dead, and tried not to show the alarm on his face.

He was flabbergasted, and did not barge in any more with another question.

Instead, he tried to calm the thought that had sprung into his head the moment Yamato said that.

He kept trying to force the notion out of his head, but… it was true that Yamato had a sort of a grudge on prince Sasuke, which is yet, another story to come… a big grudge.

… So it was hard to not ponder over it.

'What if he missed… and hit the prince? '

--

(Central city of Ksingard, medical dome, Kabuto's office)

"It wasn't him that did it, prince. It was obvious the kid was being controlled. Say, but I never heard of a demon that didn't have form? "

Kiba elaborated to Sasuke, his sources from whatever he's heard from Yamato.

Yamato chose to leave soon after his performance- back to his dome.

So it was only the blonde boy (who was miraculously revived by himself, astonishingly ridiculously fast ), Kiba and Kabuto that accompanied the prince at the moment. General Kiba was holding tight onto the blonde boy's arms- even though he was pretty sure the kid was harmless… juts in case.

Jiraiya and the king were consumed in yet another bout of discussion. The tension in the court has abated, just a bit.

Anyhow, Sasuke frowned.

"What do you mean, it didn't have form, I saw it clearly with my ey…"

Naruto suddenly grasped Sasuke's arm, breaking off from Kiba's grip, his face grimacing. The general was alarmed- he didn't know the kid would be so strong. Sasuke merely eyed him, somehow curious.

It was a pleading face- 'don't' say anymore' kind of face. He smiled nervously.

Sasuke icily gazed at the gripping hand pointedly until Naruto caught on and removed it.

Kabuto raised his head from the bandaging for a second and met eyes with Kiba- this kid had some nerve.

He was either very brave or really stupid.

The latter had more potential.

"All done, prince Sasuke. I just advise you to rest and not engage in any vigorous excercis…"

It was Kabuto now who received the cold stare.

He was only running through the customary instructions, but he decided to forgo it this time.

"Well… uh. You're done, my prince. "

"Good, I'm going. "

He stood up, his shoulders tensing up from pain, but gritted his teeth and moved on.

The blonde boy followed him.

Kiba and Kabuto each stared at the two disappear into a corridor, shaking their heads.

"Say, Kiba. You think I should have given him more anesthetic? "

"Nah, his pride wouldn't let him take it. General Kakashi's rule. "

Kabuto stopped wiping the blood off the seat for a second and turned back, an incredulous look on his face.

"Rule? "

Kiba shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah. Like, to train yourself. Because in battlefield, when in a fight and your wounded, you ain't got no tranquilizer there, see?"

Kabuto slowly dropped the bloody towel. The light reflected off his glasses, hiding the eyes underneath.

"…so your saying, you deliberately pain yourself… to train? "

"That's the point. "

Kabuto bowed his head, teeth grinding.

"…mercenaries are so… brutal. "

Kiba riled up.

"What?! What about you medics, with masses and needle shots and drugs! That's inhumane! "

Kabuto glowered silently at Kiba, then merely muttered in a lower voice.

"…next time you're injured…"

"Holy fuck. "

They're good friends.

--

(Central city of Ksingard, west of the royal palace gardens)

It was only when he reached the gardens when prince Sasuke realized the blonde idiot was following him.

He sighed, the gust of air leaving his body in a torrent.

General Inuzuke hadn't been doing his job well, or else he wouldn't have cluelessly let the blonde guy- who had in fact, almost killed Sasuke today- leave along with the prince himself.

What has the court come to? Sasuke gritted his teeth again, but this time, in irritation.

"Get lost. "

"Look…'prince'. I only want to explain. "

"There's nothing to 'explain'. Fuck off, I'm tired. "

Naruto groaned inwardly- shit. This guy had a whole lot of issues, and it was only a matter time before the entire court would deem him as a mass murderer… just like Verdane.

Just like the days before Regalus.

He painfully watched Sasuke's back, and darted over to tap him, and try to get the guy to listen his part of the deal, at least.

Only to realize, he's just touched the most sensitive spot- the part where his 'inner' demon had gashed the prince wide open.

Shit.

Sasuke flinched when he realized Naruto's hand had made contact with his covered wound.

When he turned around, it was with blinded fury at the unknowing idiot.

He thought it was done on purpose.

"Do you have ears or not?! I asked you, to, fuck, off!! "

"…Look, I need to… I, I'm not what you think I am! "

Listening to the blonde guy ramble, Sasuke grumbled silently.

"I know what you are… "

Naruto stopped dead, his body stiff.

He waited for the prince to call him a murderer, a demon.

A monster.

Just like Verdane. Just like befor...

"You're a fucking nuisance. "

Naruto felt the moment deflate, and suddenly laughed out of sheer abnormal relief.

Aggravating the prince, yet again.

"What's so amusing, you damned pain in the a…"

"eh.. I told you, I have a condition…like, I laugh hysterically whenever I'm t…"

"Stuff it with your piss talk!! "

"I didn't mention piss!! "

"Fuck off!! "

"I want to tell you my stor..."

"I'm not your fucking shrink!! "

They bickered on until a cowering messenger came to 'fetch' Naruto, panting. He must have searched the entire palace.

"Look, prince, I'm going now, but I seriously need to tell you my st..."

"No! "

Sasuke was infuriated with the newbie, yes, ...but.

For some unknown, queer, mysterious, puzzling, strange reason…

He did not mind the blonde idiot with the crazy red arm.

Touché.

(Bloodiedsug's words on DP-

lol, not as funny as I had hoped it would be

I wanted to reach the funny scenes with Jiraiya and Naruto, but... too long, I had to cut it off T.T

Anyways, SasuHina will come soon enough, about in two sessions, i'll do something about it ;; really.

now, two things:

-one, Naruto still doesn't know that Jiraiya knows about his arm

-two, don't you think Sasuke and Naruto would become good friends? lolz

I made this a bit long, since I haven't updated much

thx for the long comments, I love reading them.

bear with me. )


	9. Lies, a beginning and an invitation

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #9- Lies, a beginning and an invitation )

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

It was only much later into the night that Naruto finally met up with his sensei.

He had been bowled over with worry, that Jiraiya might have been beheaded or burned to death already in his absence, and that now it was his turn… especially since he had almost killed three people today…

A court girl, a court mercenary, and the fucking prince of Ksingard with an attitude problem.

Bad day.

At first, Naruto had felt relief, but then, as the whole distressing memories of the evening engulfed him… he was pissed off, big time.

"Where have you been, sir?! And uh, I see you're not dead yet! "

"Yes, Naruto! And it's all thanks to you! "

"…eh? Me? "

Naruto stopped moving towards his sensei, and cocked his head, pondering.

Wouldn't a rampage in the court result in beheading, rather than saving? He wasn't too sure about the politics.

Jiraiya chortled, his right hand loosely holding the enormous staff that had been confiscated yesterday, by the guards. It must have been returned today.

"Well, now you see? I have a few things to tell you, sit down. "

"…what.. things? "

Naruto had a bad premonition.

When Jiraiya wanted to talk… it was usually a confession about the crazy façade he had pulled in a day, or some other mad charade…

Jiraiya started talking.

And Naruto started gaping.

By the time he reached the part when king Itachi had decided to not kill Jiraiya and negotiate with him, actually go along with the crazy, stupid notion that fairy tales would come alive…

Jiraiya said that he had pretended Naruto was one of the tailed beasts, just to get them out of the mess alive.

What Naruto did not know was that Jiraiya was egging him on, making him believe that his sensei actually had made up the fairy tale crap.

Basically, Jiraiya lied.

Naruto did not know, Jiraiya knew everything.

As usual.

"Ha, actually I was all set to feed him fake info about King Gaara, but your awakened arm saved me from committing treas…"

"You've committed enough treason to get you beheaded ten times over, sir!! "

Jiraiya stretched his mouth, his eyes widening.

"Well now, don't you want to hear about the big news? "

"…what… big news?...sir? "

Jiraiya happily told Naruto about persuading King Itachi, and the fact that they were going to live in Ksingard from now on.

…to Naruto's horror and dismay.

"You did what?! "

Naruto raised his hands up in a twisting motion, his eyebrows almost joining together.

Jiraiya gesticulated, waving his right arm sweepingly in grandeur.

"Say hello to your new home! From now on, we're going to live at the grand palace court of Ksingard, in these luxurious hal…"

Naruto took a step back, finger aimed at his sensei, his face distorted in disbelief.

"You… baka priest!! No, I mean, sir, I mean… what the hell is the meaning of this?! "

"Why calm down, Naruto! It's just as well! Didn't you hate Arudan? The sand all over the place, fights with Shizune and Ino-pig, the daily prayin …"

"That's what 'you' hated!! "

"Well… you're the… ah yes, mini-me. "

"What?! "

Naruto conjured up an image of himself all aged and old, his hair bleached down to shocking white, his nose turning red from sake. His pervert-ness… oh yes, his pervert-ness…

God no.

"No!! No, no, no!! "

"Why not? You'd be a great demon slayer. "

"That's…'not' worth the whole package!! "

"You hurt me deeply, I'm disappointed. "

"I HATE YOU!! "

Jiraiya pretended to be hurt by this, but his outraged assistant wasn't buying it. Of course, it was just pretense, but still- Jiraiya thought petulantly that Naruto should at least pretend himself, to be concerned.

"Now, now. Be calm. "

"How can I be calm?! Why are you doing this?! "

At that, Jiraiya merely replied vaguely, his eyes turning somewhere off…

"Well, we have to stay in Ksingard for as long as possible, and this was the only way… "

"WHAT?! You didn't tell me that when we left! We're not going back?! "

"Of course we are! Maybe…after 3 years? "

"WHAT?! "

Jiraiya decided he still had a lot more explaining to do, and starting making up a decent lie to cover up for his outrageous behavior.

As usual.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall)

Shino had watched in the shadows of the corridor with deadpan eyes, the priest and assistant 'demon kid' bickering.

It curiously reminded him of Kiba and himself.

At any rate, these two did not mix, but mixed well.

A paradox of a relationship.

…why the hell had King Itachi let these two stay when by right, they should have been killed?

It was not by mercy, that was for sure.

Hidan seemed to know something, but he'd definitely not share, him being the so called infamous 'info master' of the court.

Besides, Shino was not too fond of the guy.

Hidan... was a curious nut.

Shino softly crept out when he heard the doors close, and swiftly went to the dining halls to report… the dining halls, because most generals and estine sentries had spent the evening cleaning up with the servants… and attending quick meetings. So they missed supper.

It was 3am.

"Messenger Shino reporting: the priest and the b…"

As soon as he started to speak, a rash voice spoke out.

"Cut it out, Shino! We're finally having our long awaited supper and you're ruining it by your depressing report! Cut the court rule crap and let's eat! You must be hungry too, I'll bet. "

Shino glared quietly at the famished looking red haired general… Kiba.

There were only a few others in the hall, mostly being the reason that it was late- most of the people chose to go hungry rather than sleepy.

There was General Kiba, for one thing, and also general Asuma. And the two estine sentries, Lee and Sai.

"Hey you lucky bastard! How come you get to do reports when you know damn well that we all had been hauling our asses doing menial job? "

That was Lee, and he still sounded hyperactive at three in the morning.

"I'm the court messenger, if you have forgotten, Lee. "

"Bullshit, you're an estine sentry, too, just like us. "

This was true. Shino was a third rank estine sentry- he was under general Sarutobi, Asuma's orders.

Lee continued to prove his point.

"It just happens you have the cushy messenger thing as a second job… say, d'you think they'd take me as a messenger too? "

The people around Lee guffawed.

Kiba quickly intercepted the comment.

"Nah, you're not 'stealthy' enough, Lee. Nor level headed. "

"What?! General Kiba, I object! "

Lee, outraged, slammed both his hands on the table and stood up hastily… knocking over his plate and cup.

The items fell and broke into pieces, the cup splattering tea on his pants, making him look like he'd arrived at the bathroom a second too late.

Hence, the increased volume of the laughter, drifting off into the bleak endless night sky.

Ksingard's sky.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Munificence)

"Prince Sasuke. I heard you were in a bit of a trouble this evening. "

Sasuke's head impulsively jerked up, then relaxed, his weary body sinking into the bed once more…

Which was stained by the blood that had seeped out of the thick bandaging.

"Thank god, Kakashi…at last someone with an ounce of sense. "

Kakashi merely crinkled his eyes in return, hiding his apparent amusement at the prince's irritation. Then his forehead creased in concern.

"What exactly 'is' the boy? I've heard servants going crazy and calling him a demon. And others calling him possessed. "

Sasuke grumpily positioned his body sideways, his arm carefully cradling his side and letting heat off his wounded back.

"He may be a demon. I don't know… Frankly, I don't particularly care. "

"You don't sound too fazed, my prince. "

Sasuke glowered at his former sensei, until the general finally broke down and started calling him by his name again.

"Well then, Sasuke. The king, your brother, apparently wishes for the imposter priest and the demon boy to stay at court… he's not telling us generals anything though. I have a, slightly bad feeling about this. It is curious indeed. "

"You know my brother, Kakashi. He does things. Most of the time he manages, the ugly bastard. "

Kakashi attempted hiding his amusement at Itachi, his king, being called 'the ugly bastard'…by the younger sullen brother.

Oh, the sibling rivalry.

"This time, it's different. People's lives are at stake, especially if the demon boy is going to go into a rampage like what he did tod…Sasuke? "

The prince had suddenly stopped breathing, his eyes dilating and muscles tensing. His body bended as he lowered his head, his face out of sight.

A larger stain of blood seeped out from his back wound, discoloring the expensive silk robes that he had donned just a few moments ago.

Kakashi stood up abruptly.

"Sasuke, speak truthfully- are you okay? You need more anesthetics. Should I call on Kabuto? "

The general was bent on leaving immediately, but a hand suddenly reached out and gripped the hem of his black military robes.

The prince vaguely turned his eyes down and replied monotonously:

"Pain is experience, that's what you said. "

Kakashi answered back curtly, with a touch of impatience.

"Listening and following everything I say is not the smartest thing to do, especially when your own health is at stake. "

Kakashi approached the bedside and kneeled down without breaking off the eye connection. His voice was slightly gentler.

"Sometimes, Sasuke, it's better to decide on your own, what is the best. "

Sasuke looked into Kakashi's eyes for a moment longer, and then swiftly turned his head upward to the ceiling, letting out a long sigh.

He let his hand, which had been gripping the general's robes, flop to his side.

"Yeah. It hurts. "

"I'll call Kabuto. "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

Jiraiya was finally done with his explaining… for the most part.

He left out the part that he knew exactly what was ailing Naruto's arm, only stating his alarm at the demon that resided in there. And his concern.

Naruto being Naruto, believed his crap, almost even convinced that what his crazy sensei had done was right.

Jiraiya looked so sincere.

He smiled genuinely into his assistant's uncertain face.

Naruto felt his mind waver a bit, giving in to the earnest persuasion…

"Do you see now… Abdullah? "

Not.

"I'm NOT Abdullah!! "

Naruto could not stop his fist moving on its own accord.

It smashed into the side of Jiraiya's face.

Naruto's face fell after he'd realized what he'd done.

"Oh shit! "

Jiraiya sat down with a slightly 'off' smile, his face caved in somewhat.

"…ya shee now, Abwullah? "

Naruto gave up, sitting himself down defiantly on the cold floor and mumbling…

"…what is wrong with you…sir. "

It sounded like he was, whether he liked it or not, have Ksingard as his home for a while.

A long while.

--

(North of Ksingard central city (Cydia), Hyuuga residence, fourth wing)

A lithe slender figure was bent over the fast asleep Neji, her face positioned near his face.

His bare chest moved up and down rhythmically, indicating his slumber.

The girl spoke up.

"…shht. Neji. Not sleeping? "

The disturbed young estine sentry rubbed his eyes, wincing slightly as his hand grazed the wound on his face. He opened his eyes.

He looked up to find Hinata's huge eyes just a few inches away from his own, it's lavender hue glimmering with strange light, without focus.

He flipped.

"Good god, Hinata! You looked like a ghost… what are you doing up so late?! "

"Oh no, not so loud, Neji! You'd wake up father and the servants! "

Neji lowered his voice, frowning.

"Well, what is it, cousin? "

Hinata looked a tad bit agitated all of a sudden. When she spoke, her voice had a weak tremor, lilting the end of her sentences.

And she had her customary stammer.

"You know… today? What happened? "

"…yeah? "

Neji's hand went up in its own accord to touch the side of his heavily bruised face. Hinata noticed and cupped her cool hand on his cheek.

"Well… you got injured… and the… the… prince got injured too, right? Um… I… "

"Hinata, what is the point of this? "

Neji lifted his body up heavily, and turned his face to look at his cousin, who seemed to be…

Blushing?

"I…I don't know what to do Neji! "

"…What? Why? "

"I'm so scared!! "

Oh please, it better not be the treason thing again.

"You're not talking about being beheaded again, aren't you? Because the prince saved you by his decision, not bec…"

"I'm not…talking about that! "

Hinata was fretting again, her eyes closed and hands clenched. Neji reached over to pat his cousin's shoulder…

She was a lot more sensitive than he'd remembered. Where had to level headed Hinata gone to?

"Look, Hinata. No matter what you say, it's probably something you don't have to worry about, es…"

"He invited me to his hall, Neji!! "

There was an awkward silence.

Neji head whirled rapidly- if what he was thinking was right…

The prince better not have been thinking that the price for saving Hinata, would be her virginity.

God no.

(bloodiedsug's words on DP-

This one, very late.

And I'm regretting my mistake on putting Kiba as a general… he was supposed to be an estine sentry!! T.T

Rank: General- estine sentry- normal soldier- court sentry- palace guard)

Bear with me)


	10. As the roads intertwine

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #10- As the roads intertwine)

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

The next day, Naruto was woken from his traumatic dream by quick curt raps on the door. He groggily rose from his bed, and skeptically looked over at his master's bed.

Jiraiya was sleeping on his belly, a sake bottle held loose in his right hand, and snoring away like a regular highway truck driver.

There was no chance of him getting up to for the door, so Naruto stood up and walked over to the door, rubbing his eyes and yawning.

"Hello. Good morning. I'm here to assist Uzumaki-san. "

It was a creepy looking (in Naruto's opinions) young man with delicate clear features and ghostly pale skin. He was in the loose black training robes of a mercenary, hands politely held at his side.

Naruto as always, forgot the polite part of a conversation and went straight to the point.

"..and uh, you are? "

Sai smiled benevolently, and replied with a monotonous rendition of his status with practiced precision.

He sounded like a recording machine.

"My name is Sai, and I am a first rank estine sentry, under General Hatake Kakashi's orders, and my sector in battle is main attack and fractional defense. "

It sounded somehow, threatening.

Too military and formal, even though Sai was smiling, his eyes slanting up in a friendly amiable crinkle.

It sounded as if the guy was going to continue like this, '…my weapon of choice is a hacksaw, and I have penchant to use it on blonde haired irksome kids like you. Now stick out your head! '

…Naruto hit himself on the head with his palm, attempting to shake out the crazy imaginations from within, and answered.

"Uh… you're here to assist me in… what? "

The man called Sai responded promptly.

"Court matters. I assume you're not informed much about our Ksingard's royal court laws? "

Naruto silently kept his, 'I heard it is strict, brutal and a great pain in the ass, '…to himself.

"Nope. Ha, I'm not too bright in court matters, I'm afraid. "

"No one is, at first. Shall we go? "

Naruto immediately stepped out of the room pulling on the robes the court had provided him; his fawn Regalus robes were slightly 'too' worn.

"Aren't you obligated to inform your master that you'd be gone a while? "

Sai puzzlingly peered at Naruto, and Naruto tried to ignore the sound of Jiraiya snoring from inside the room. He ever so slightly pushed the door, so that it covered his 'snoring master in a drunken stupor' adequately.

'Guess he won't miss me as long as he has that migraine. '

Then he remembered to ask the question that he had meant to ask the moment Sai at mentioned the word 'assist'.

"Uh, wait wait, why are you showing me around though? Isn't it better to show both me and Jiraiya…san together? Saves time. "

Sai looked vaguely perplexed.

"I was explicitly told to assist you in your training… I was not informed about having to show around your master as well…"

Naruto's ear caught a word that he did not mean to hear.

"…training? What training? I didn't hear anything about training! "

Sai smiled again that ridiculously benign smile that emitted benevolence, only to some extent tinged with threatening presence.

He was another enigma, just like all the other fuck-ups in this court.

"I would have sworn you have been told; it's the reason you're allowed to remain at court, isn't it? You are to begin training in order to control, maintain and master the demon that grows in you. I'm no demon slayer, but I can show you around the palace to help you get used to Ksingard, then I'll hand you over to Yamato san, so he can hel…"

Naruto could not help but cut in.

"WHAT?! I'm to train to master what?! "

A pack of birds just out the window all flew up at the degree of intensity of his voice. Sai still remained smiling, his posture ridiculously reserved.

"I believe I have been clear about thi…"

"Yeah, you have been clear!! So damn clear that it's practically translucent!! 'WHY' hasn't sir told me about this?! Train?!"

"…shall we begin? "

That freaking smile again.

Except that now, it was definitely tinged with the 'I'm irked and will use force if this fuckwit keeps on with his tantrum.'

Touché.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Military dome, general's wing)

A slim scholarly figure slipped into the hallways of the general's wing, a 'recently-turned-into' sentry noticed with faint interest.

He walked in quick hurried steps, his ash-gray robes flaring behind him. Ash-gray, white sash. Some high class scholar, and by the looks of the white sash, probably from the medical dome.

He wondered what a medic was doing here so early in the morning. Even the general's weren't up yet, for god's sake.

The sentry felt like warning the clueless guy who just slipped into the hallway- the generals might give him hell when he woke him up early. But then, it was the medic's own business; it was the guy's own problem if he felt like killing himself.

So the sentry decided not to warn, and Kabuto easily slipped into Kiba's room, uninterrupted.

Kabuto skeptically peered at his friend who was sleeping like a log, his blanket thrown off the bed, one of his hand sprawled over his bare chest. He promptly went over and cupped Kiba's face with his large hands that reeked of herbs, cutting off air.

It achieved instant reaction.

"What the fuck?!"

The sentry, hearing the screeched out profanity, assumed the medic was going to get his comeuppance.

"Good morning Kiba? I assume you're awake."

"…damn it, is that you Kabuto? Well, I am now. "

Kiba rose blearily, his muscled shoulders tensing and stretching.

"What a crummy morning… I slept about an hour before you woke me up. "

Grumbling, Kiba rose with a groan, cracking his neck a few times before finally facing his friend.

"Well what is it? What's so important that you had to wake me unceremoniously… before breakfast, now, really Kabuto, I'm…"

"We have a problem. "

Kabuto cut in, his eyes lowering.

"What kind? "

"You'll… see. If you follow me. "

Kiba quit his complaints once he realized Kabuto was uncharacteristically anxious. He jumped out of bed and pulled on a ragged shirt from his bedside.

A smudge of mud stained the shirt- it was his undershirt that he wore beneath his training robes- but a mercenary never minds a bit of dirt.

He grabbed a loosed black robe from his closet, tied his leather cord with his katana sheath on the side and set out to follow Kabuto to the medical dome.

To which, Kabuto observed critically.

"…aren't you going to come 'dressed', Kiba? I mean… you 'are' a general, and you got an image to hold up. "

The general scoffed.

"Bah, image my ass. I don't need no image to handle my army. "

"…hm. What about the prospects of getting a wife? "

Kiba glowered.

"…you are saying? "

"Nevermind. "

The two figures swiftly passed the hallways, the general graciously accepting the bows and salutes his soldiers gave him. It was dawn, and most of the men who had been up training were returning to the military facility dome to take their shower and have their breakfast.

The breakfast which, Kiba was missing, woefully.

Kabuto cut in left, leading Kiba into his office in the center of the medical dome.

He paused before opening the door, and that pause was enough to warn Kiba- something was wrong.

"Holy..fuck. What the hell is that…? "

In the middle of the room, amidst a bundle of rust colored stained bandages, rose a curious looking lump, its blackness swelling and waning in its own accord.

It was moving.

"Is that… a demon? "

The daunted general stepped sideward to meet the medic's eyes.

Kabuto shrugged.

"…uh. If you care to recall, those are the bandages I used to mop up the demon boy's blood. "

"…the boy's blood? "

"Yes. I just discarded the used up ones in the wastebasket… then I woke up this morning to find 'that' swelling about in my office. Managed to give me a good fright, too. "

Kabuto shuddered at the formless black mass that was bloating fluidly- it sickened him. Kiba, over his initial shock, stepped closer, inquisitively eyeing the blob.

Kabuto opened his mouth to speak, his voice including a slight tremor.

"You think… you think we should call Yamato in? Honestly… what the hell is in that boy? I swear it is pure madness to let him and the rogue priest to stay in our court! We should behead them both right here and now! "

Kiba mulled over this, than shook his head.

"…King Itachi ordered them both to stay. I guess… we have to tolerate whatever that… he is. "

"But it…he, almost killed prince Sasuke! "

Kabuto realized he had been too loud, and at once dropped his voice as low as he could have it. He kicked close the office door, which had been open.

"It is blasphemy, an insult in itself to have the demon boy alive and walking about in this palace… are you listening, Kiba? "

Bland, mild Kabuto was irked, at least for this moment. Kiba seemed to be contemplating over some other matter.

When Kabuto accused him of this, he sighed.

"…well what 'are' you suggesting? That we should do him away, disobeying the king's orders? "

"We're not, compelled to obey, Kiba!! "

The two men stopped- the medic breathing hard and looking ashamed, the general stunned into silence. From Kiba's hands slipped the black robes he was about to don. A queer stillness filled the room.

Kabuto spoke up, cautiously.

"…they say this court's ending soon. Even the astrologers predict Ksingard's fall. We're not going to last like this. Look at the way Arudan treats us, insulting our court by sending a rogue preis…"

"They sent another envoy that arrived yesterday- the 'real' envoy. They weren't in any way, crossing us. "

Kiba quickly intervened, chagrined. Kabuto chose to ignore this.

"Not only Arudan, but Fleorte, Desvon and Rushvarde- all the little countries up in the north; Ksingard is not a superpower among the countries no longer, Kiba. Really, we're merely an l…"

"Enough!! "

Kiba pulled out his slim blade from its sheath and slammed it downward, causing the blade to hack into the wooden floorboard, embedding itself in the lumber. The sword vibrated a few moments, its length bending both sides like a pendulum.

"Enough. "

Kiba repeated in a much softer tone, reluctant in using additional force.

"…I know, that you're family is still in line with the former king… but you must realize, King Itachi is as capable as the old king! He's the former king's son for god's sake! And don't be so pessimistic about Ksingard's future. We'll pull through, as we did before with the scandals… and the massacre. As always. "

"…I'm sick of having to cover up our country's secrets to others. It shames me. "

"Well don't be shamed. Ksingard's our land. We got to protect it. "

Another silence took place, but a more comfortable one.

The office emitted a pungent aroma of crushed herbs and faintly, blood. Kiba sniffed once, as if he had just noticed the smell. He slipped his fingers around the handle of his sword, and pulled it out.

Bits a debris of wood from the floorboard scattered. Both men eyed this without a word, and Kiba turned to leave.

Before the door closed, Kiba poked his head in once more.

"Oh, and Kabuto. "

"Hmm? "

"Sorry about your floor- I'll pay to get it fixed. "

Kiba pointed sheepishly at the hacked floorboard. Kabuto grinned.

"Nah. But really, should I call in Yamato? "

"Sure. That's what he's there for isn't he? "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, outside of Hall of Munificence)

Sai had told him to 'wait' here, as he disappeared into one of the biggest and lavishly set dome he had seen so far in the palace.

Naruto kicked the dirt once, already bored, and quite bothered by the fact that he had to …train. He eyed the high willows that seemed to stand everywhere in this court, and was reminded of the one he had crashed just a day ago.

He couldn't believe the crazy king wanted him to train to overcome his demon.

He wanted it gone, not train to manage it.

He sighed.

That was when he noticed a lovely slim girl strolling past, just having emerged from the willow gardens, humming. She had an armload of books and scrolls, which she all dropped with an open mouth when she saw him.

Oh. It was 'that' girl, the court girl whose brother he had hurt.

What a awkward situation.

"Hey…uh. I'm… "

The girl seemed truly frightened of him, her huge eye dilating and form cowering.

Naruto furiously tried to think of something to say that would make him seem harmless.

"I'm not dangerous! "

Bingo.

He felt like hitting himself then- it sounded as suspicious as it could get.

Surprisingly, she smiled shyly at his idiotic bashfulness.

"I'm so, really, truly sorry about last time… I didn't really hurt your brother much, did I? "

Again, a potential light of fear entered her lavender eyes, as she warily scanned his desperate face. She was trying to find honesty in his face. Naruto weaily dropped his tone.

"Cuz I did not mean to. I mean, hurt anyone. "

Naruto felt his voice and mood drop a key.

He was reminded at the time in Verdane, when he was much younger, he had said the exact same words to a girl he used to have a crush on. He had killed the girl's cat, by accident.

Actually, he had forced the arm to go for the cat instead of the girl- the arm had initially meant for the girl. He hadn't meant to, he knelt down and sobbed out, but the girl inched back.

She ran away.

He would never forget the look she had given him.

It'll follow him to his grave.

Hinata stepped back, and Naruto clenched his fist silently. He braced himself for the sound of the girl running away.

It's okay, you're used to this, he told himself…

When he looked up, the girl was still standing there. He eyed her inquisitively…

…when all of a sudden, he saw the frail girl draw back her hand and slap him a hard one in a full swing.

"Wha…?! "

"That's for hurting Neji!! "

Then she stuck her slim fingers into Naruto's stomach in vengeance.

Naruto doubled up- his belly was a tickly spot.

"That's for hurting the prince!! "

"Oi, oi, wait a second! "

She was drawing back her fist now, a determined look on her sweet face, when she suddenly stopped and let her hand drop to her side.

"And that, is for saying sorry. Apology accepted. "

Naruto stood still for a moment, still bent over, looking up at the girl with a quizzical dumb look on his face.

This girl… was not what he had expected at all.

Naruto was vaguely reminded of Ino-pig back at the temple, who was always hitting him and kicking him… Ino and this girl?

The image was such a mismatch, that he shook his head, squinting his eyes.

Hinata, meanwhile, was alarmed at seeing the boy seemingly squeeze his eyes and shake his head… did she hit him 'too' hard?

"Oh no, did I hit too hard? "

Actually, Naruto had barely felt the hit, but happily relented.

"Uh… yeah! I think…I have a concussion. "

"N… no one gets a concussion from a slap! …did I… hit that hard? "

She sounded unsure of herself, even as she spoke.

Seeing the girl stutter, he felt a sudden rush of warmth for this country.

Arudan had been a home, but he felt like Ksingard could be a home just as much as Arudan had been. He felt like a person, not a demon.

It is not the country that matters; it is the people that occupied the lands that truly matter.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Munificence)

"Prince Sasuke, I have brought the boy. "

Sai's voice jerked Sasuke back to reality.

"I'll be down in a second. Wait. "

Sai bowed once, then stepped out of sight as Sasuke walked over the length of his room to retrieve both his swords and adjust his bandages.

He had told Itachi the day before that he wished to… associate with the demon boy. King Itachi did not press much into the matter, but did look curious as to why Sasuke would want to associate with the person that almost had him killed.

The prince himself was not entirely sure.

But he was sure, as unreasonable as it sounded, that he might make a friend out of the idiot boy.

As much as things went in court, the idiot blonde was the only one that hadn't seem him solely as a bastard prince, apart from general Kakashi and grudgingly speaking, Itachi.

And also, maybe, that girl with the lavender eyes.

Hyuga Hinata.

--

(Bloodiedsug's words on DP-

Sorry, sorry, I meant to put in SasuHina in this session.

I know y'all are disappointed ;

But the story has to go on, I can't only focus on relationships, like I do with HSBK, which by the way, would be updated some time next week…

But very slight implied NaruHina here, lol. Though I didn't intend it at first.

I'll do the scene with Sasuke's invitation, next session,

Promise.

Bear with me.)


	11. Initiation of conflict

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #11- Initiation of conflict)

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, outside of Hall of Munificence)

"My name, is Hyuga Hinata. What's yours? "

They were still speaking, Naruto and Hinata, for Sai had not returned.

Naruto skipped a beat before answering her, because for a split second, he thought his name was…

"I'm Abdul… no, no! Hell no! Stupid name-calling! "

That Jiraiya had successively imprinted the pseudonym into Naruto's head for eternity.

Hinata stood by puzzled while the blonde boy blurted out a frustrated but restrained noise.

He regained himself after a round of hair tearing.

"I'm Uzumaki Naruto. "

They shook hands, almost a childish gesture, both of their hands awkward and unsure. Hinata stifled a giggle.

She felt like she was agreeing to something, by shaking the hand of this boy who had almost killed her and Neji yesterday.

And the prince.

Hinata felt another bout of shivers running through her back, remembering the blood that had seeped into her robes. Hanabi had jokingly run around, advising her to keep the tainted robes in the memory of the prince's gallant deed, but Hinata was fearful of the blood.

That fear was closely linked to this blonde standing in front of her, but strangely, she felt at ease. With most men, she tended to shy away, she felt terrified of interaction. But this was different.

She felt like talking.

"I heard… you were… um. "

Her stuttering habit has returned, and Hinata secretly cursed herself for not being outgoing and bright as the sunny girl Hiashi wanted her to be.

She gave it another try.

"I heard that you were…"

She was hesitant to say, and Naruto suddenly felt like screaming, 'out with it!!'

If she was going to say he was a monster, or a demon or anything like that, it was better to get over with quick. He could take it.

"I heard you were from Arudan… "

Oh.

Naruto let himself relax yet again, feeling the odd sense of relief.

He finally realized, and admitted to himself that this girl would not disappoint him with betrayal, like all the others did. He was accepted in the fold with her.

Only a few ever did with him, like Jiraiya, Shizune, Ino and a few others.

He counted off the figures in his head, adding one more to the small list.

And maybe that awful tempered prince.

"I am. I belonged in the temple Regalus. I'm an apprentice… "

"It's so wonderful! I'm really interested in the history of Arudan! "

"Eh, H…history? "

History?

There was a silence, and the screeching of the cicadas was heard over the stillness, a concord of sheer cacophony.

Naruto's head was also a concord of cacophony at the moment.

Naruto, being a blockhead for history, struggled hard in searching his brain for any witty comment he could make… and found none.

All he could remember specifically about Arudan, was that it had too much sand for its own good, and offered the best ramen in all of the lands combined. But Naruto could hardly say to the girl, 'Want to know the recipe to the famed Arudan ramen? Top secret! '

He'd be channeling pathetic, and he did not want to look like a fool in front of this girl.

He knew he should have listened to Jiraiya when he preached history, but every word always flew out of the other ear before the talk was even over. Therefore, he stood silent, his inner mind in a torrent of conflict.

Hinata mistook his silence for skepticism, and hastily spoke up again, her cheeks blushing.

"I…I know it's really unusual for a girl to be interested in history… especially the history of another country, but Arudan has a really fascinating past! "

"I…uh. Yeah, I agree! Interesting stuff, really…"

When one is cornered into the alley of ignorance, it is best to agree with anything that the other person is saying.

Naruto wondered how long he'd have to stand nodding like an ignorant fool while Hinata provided him with information he should have known ages ago.

Agony.

"Are you ready to go on? "

Luckily, Naruto was saved then by the arrival of Sai, from having to discuss the 'fascinating' history of Arudan with Hinata further on. He liked the girl quite a lot, but history fogged up his brain. He quite eagerly turned to greet the man once more.

He considered himself lucky, until he saw the figure walking next to the sallow estine sentry.

"If it isn't the nuisance with a 'condition'. "

All of Sasuke's sarcasm and cynicism was packed into that phrase.

The corner of Naruto's forced smile plunged immediately into a barely hidden grimace.

It was prince fuckwit.

--

(Heart of Arudan, Temple Regalus, hall of relaxation)

"Well well Shizune, you've really done it this time. "

A lazy afternoon in temple Regalus always drew in unexpected visitors, especially from the palace. Mercenaries and court officials closely afflicted with the temple dropped by occasionally, using business as a paltry excuse to snag some free time and drink tea.

"Don't give me that, Genma! You know this was necessary. "

Today's visitor was Genma, from general Kankuro's squad.

The tawny haired man was easily stretched out on the temple couch, even though the hard wood made it difficult to be comfortable. Shizune brought the tea over, pouring sugar into only one of the cups- she did not have a sweet tooth.

"Necessary? You call it necessary to inform the king that the pervert priest has abandoned Arudan and joined sides with Ksingard? You have a pretty distorted sense of…"

"You came here to drink tea, if you do not shut up, I'll pour it over you! "

He quieted down then, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath, but smiling at the same time. He received the cup from Shizune and set it down- it was too hot to drink.

"King Gaara wasn't too pleased, but I don't think he'd waste force on bringing Jiraiya-san back. The envoy fiasco had brought some strain on the Arudan- Ksingard relationship, and he probably wouldn't want any extra mess to intensify that strain. "

"Hmph. More likely, he's looking for an excuse to start war with Ksingard. He's only waiting for the right excuse to pounce on… this whole 'we're friends' deal is getting stifling already. "

Shizune's eyes widened.

"…what do you mean? "

Genma raised his eyebrows, as if to ask if didn't she know this.

"What I mean, is that the generals are already training us methodically, merging some of the divided sectors together, so we all know another war's coming on soon. I'm just wondering what'll happen to Jiraiya and Naruto, if the war starts. "

"No way! A war with Ksingard? It's madness! "

"King Gaara's capable of anything. "

Genma shrugged, toying around with the spoon, stirring his tea.

"Say, why did Jiraiya take Naruto with him?

He suddenly asked, frowning. Shizune sipped her tea, a bit shook up.

"As an apprentice. "

"Apprentice my ass, you know demon slayers never receive apprentices. Demon slayers are born, not made. "

"Okay, as a servant then. "

Genma stared at Shizune incredulously, until she broke down and replied:

"Jiraiya-san went to Ksingard for a couple of reasons, to help Naruto, find Tsunade-sama, and… find pretty women to fill his perverted heart with joy, most likely. "

Genma snorted at the last part, his eyes slanting down in a hearty smile.

"Well, I should agree. I heard Ksingard has real beautiful women… especially in Cydia. I heard Cydian women are the 'best', beautiful, reserved and poised. "

He spoke in a teasing voice, trying to aggravate Shizune into barking at him; they were in a queer kind of relationship.

In limbo, between friendship and love.

"Oh sure, why don't you go over to Ksingard too then? If anyone would even take you, I mean. "

Shizune said mildly, only giving in to the vexing tease a little bit. Genma grinned, taking the lukewarm cup in his hand.

"I know for one thing that you can't resist me, even if you declare you hate me! "

Shizune rolled her eyes while he took a huge swig from the cup of tea. He did not swallow, and immediately started making odd noises with a weird face.

"Mm…mmn? "

"Hmm? What is it? "

She leaned closer.

"Pkhwa!! "

He spurt out the liquid, and it splashed into Shizune's face in a torrent, the hot liquid soaking into her robes and hair. She was stunned into silence, lasting a few seconds until the storm began.

"Wha…?! Genma!! "

Genma was eyeing the tea with a suspicious stare, and Shizune exploded.

"What is the meaning of this?! "

He started sniffing the tea.

"What the hell… did you put in this tea? "

She was taken aback.

"What do you mean? It's just the usual herb tea, served wi…"

Epiphany.

She suddenly realized that the 'sugar' she had so generously poured into the tea, was not sugar, but…

"Salt?! Are you trying to dehydrate me or what?! "

"Look what you did to my robes!! "

"Look what you did to my palate! How will I enjoy my dinner now?! "

"You and your food, stupid man!! Look at my clothes!! "

"You and your salt tea!! Evil woman!!"

Ino, who had just arrived in the temple, heard the deafening noise of the two shouting at each other in vain. She wondered how was it in this world that a holy temple should be so… rowdy.

She looked up at Shizune's door, smirked, then flounced off to help Ebisu with his scroll works, thinking:

'Must be Genma. '

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, outside of Hall of Munificence)

'Hyuga Hinata…'

Prince Sasuke had not expected to see her this early in the morning.

He had sent the invitation a night ago, not entirely sure why he had done so. Most likely, General Hiashi would be aghast, thinking the prince was up for another bedding.

The prince himself wasn't sure, what he wanted.

"What's… he doing here? "

The blonde idiot.

He did not seem overjoyed to see Sasuke, that was for sure. The boy stood lack, his arms dangling limp against his side, his expression unfathomable… not.

Naruto was actually frowning all over.

Has it been, much less a misgiving in his part, a mistake to want association? Was it going to be a disaster to mingle with this nuisance of a presence?

Naruto spoke.

"How come you're out of bed? Weren't you wounded big time? "

All three turned to look at Naruto, particularly his left arm. Naruto stood clueless for a moment, then got the gist.

"Oh, uh…really really sorry. I… I didn't mean t… never mind about that. I'm real sorry. I'm real…"

"Shut it with your 'really's. It gets on my nerve. And also, about the wounds- why are you not in bed? You were injured by the… your arm as well as any of us. "

Sasuke pointed out this crucial observation, skeptical.

Naruto thought hard, and then happily replied…

"Eh, I have a condition t…"

Sasuke sighed disgustedly.

"Forget it. "

He looked over instead, at the fragile girl standing behind the blonde idiot. He suddenly had new plans.

"You, follow me. You did get the invitation haven't you? "

"Y…yes. Now? "

Sai caught on with the situation, and casually waved his hand at Naruto, diverting attention.

"We have a long day upon us. Come. "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal discussion hall)

"Your majesty, I have sent the organized troop to accompany the envoy home, like you have ordered. "

"Good. Pray tell this time, nothing happens. "

Kakashi lingered, his posture formal, waiting for the permission to go on with his say. Itachi noticed the general still waiting, and granted the permission to speak.

"…it's prince Sasuke. By right, he should be in bed, but he insisted on accompanying the demon boy for his training with Yamato…"

"And you're saying that, considering Sasuke's relationship with Yamato, this should be prevented? "

Kakashi was used to being frank, he disliked being subtle. Clear, lucid facts were useful; beautiful speeches with irrelevant but profound maxims were useless to him.

He didn't like talking round a subject.

However, around the king, there was a cost to being so open.

"He should rest, my lord. He's not in shape. "

"That's interesting, coming from you, a believer of constant exertion and hard training. Aren't you pleased that Sasuke is so enthusiastic with his training? "

Kakashi raised his head to look at Itachi.

The young king was staring down at his bent head, seemingly challenging him. An amused twinkle played at his usually deadpan eyes.

"Pleased, but a teacher has to consider his pupil's health as much as the study itself. "

Itachi mulled over this.

"True. So perhaps you should go talk to him. He listens to you more than he does me. "

The general shifted ever so slightly, sensing the talk going down a dangerous path.

He decided to risk it.

"…you are his brother, your majesty, much as you deny it at times. "

Itachi broke into a sudden smile, as if liberated by this blunt observation.

"…you're the only one that sees through by foil, aren't you? I assumed no one did, not even Sasuke. "

Itachi started pacing around the lavishly adorned room, his footsteps echoing hollowly against the marble floor. Kakashi remained still, aware that at any time, the mercurial king could corner him into saying anything.

He remained calm, nevertheless.

"Everyone thinks I do not mind him being the son of the street whore, but I do, at times. The wench stole a father and a husband with that one act; no one is sanctified and merciful enough to forget that. There are times when it is a hard feat to even look at Sasuke, with the boy trying so hard to defy me... "

The king raised his eyes up to the ceiling, his magenta robes fluttering softly behind his every step.

"I have never seen another boy so rebellious and determined to be difficult as he is… He's set his mind to 'not' be the prince figure that I'd tried time and again to mold into him. Every time he goes against me, I'm tempted to reveal what I truly feel like inside. Can't say I would, since the boy would only obey me less if I did. He's lose all due respects for me, even the meager kind that he's learnt to show. He fights back too much. But he listens to you. I wonder how you do it… "

The general listened to this speech without comment, his mask revealing no inkling of his emotions hidden underneath.

"You are a good brother to the prince, my lord. You have every right to believe it. "

The king ignored this.

"Wouldn't it be nice, Kakashi, to focus on just one thing instead of having to be good at multiple subjects? Need I be a good king, a good brother and a good human being all at the same time? There are sometimes when you can choose only one. "

Itachi was looking out of the massive glass window that led out to the balcony. Intense light spilled over into the darkened room, outshining the candles that adorned all five panels of the walls.

His mood was unpredictable.

"Do you think I make a good king? The country's falling apart. "

"It's no use bashing oneself over someone else's mistake, your majesty. You would know this better than anyone at court. "

Itachi stopped pacing and turned with an icy smile, looking content.

He spoke quietly.

"You have guts. "

By the phrase 'someone else's mistake', Kakashi had been implying the former king's affiliation with the concubine, and by mentioning this, putting himself in danger of absolute blasphemy.

But Kakashi was a realistic, sensible man, and Itachi was levelheaded enough to note the comment without reacting much to it. Itachi noted this with a wry smile.

"I do not stand for impudence, especially from my generals, but you… I guess I could respect you. Your views are clear and untainted. I can trust it. "

The king approached Kakashi, this time, leaning his face into the general's bent head, so that their eyes were level. His tone held a curious urgency to it.

"No one tells me the truth anymore… tell me, Kakashi. What is this country turning into? "

Kakashi did not answer, because even he was not sure what would become of Ksingard.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Munificence)

He approached her, cornering and backing her up into the extravagantly furnished walls of his room. When they were as close as a few inches apart, he reached up and started to loosen a portion of his silk robes.

His hands brushed aside the fabric, revealing not skin, but bloodied bandages.

He casually took her right hand, and lifted it up to brush against his chest. He cupped his hand over hers, pushing it gently into his body.

He asked, in all seriousness.

"What do you feel? "

Hinata was not sure of what to do. She wasn't at all sure what the prince wanted.

It was her first time in the royalty dome, especially the hall of munificence, the prince's quarters. The dome was too overstated in her opinion, and snuffed out even the inch of confidence she had in herself.

She was mildly terrified of the situation.

"…prince Sasuke? "

The bandages were slightly wet with blood, some of it crusted into a rust colored layer.

"What do you feel? "

He was tenacious in his ways, his piercing dark eyes boring into hers.

What Hinata did not know, was the small decisions that were whirling in Sasuke's head at the moment.

If she answered lust or anything connecting to that, he was definitely going to bed her then and there. Or if she mentioned the beating heart or being sorry about his wounds, maybe he'd leave her alone but never associate with her again. The mounting 'if's'.

Hinata realized this as a form of a test the prince was springing on her. She should choose her words carefully.

"I feel…"

Hinata closed her eyes and breathed in, catching a whiff of the prince's scent. The image of hyacinths sprouted in her head.

"I feel rested. "

"Rested? "

"You use the same bath oils as I do. Warm baths always rests me… but the smell of blood clashes with the calm. "

She never ceased to surprise him.

He backed away then, his expression thoughtful.

She slumped in relief; the prince had no intention of pushing her into the bed with him it seems, thank god.

"…tell me about yourself. "

She smiled into his face, shy but radiant. She seemed to have passed the unspoken test.

"I like history. "

(bloodiedsug's words on DP-

Sorry, this was quite slow… and the story's not progressing at all!! ;;;

I might have to postpone some of the serious SasuHina until later… or else, this story'll go to pot. (which, it already has, in some parts)

This one's less funny, and more serious…

I now realize how hard it is to maintain a good plot, and keep up with the humor. Maybe I should stick to HSBK..; juggling two stories is pretty hard, especially when they are written in entirely different tones and settings.

One last thing though, Genma and Shizune??

How did I ever come up with that crack couple… lol.

Bear with me)


	12. DeathPlay special: characters

(DeathPlay Characters!! (this will change in size as the story goes on))

(Ksingard's court:)

--

(royalties)

--

Uchiha Itachi:

Status: King of Ksingard

Sector: -

Age: 20

--

Uchiha Sasuke:

Status: (bastard?) Prince of Ksingard

Sector: -

Age: 16

--

(militia)

--

Hatake Kakashi

Status: Court general (first rank)

Sector: Main attack (short distance) and fractional defense

Age: 29

--

Sarutobi Asuma

Status: Court general (second rank)

Sector: Main defense and attack (long distance)

Age: 34

--

Nara Shikamaru

Status: Court general (third rank)

Sector: Back-up attack and defense

Age: 17 (there will be some talk about this in the next session)

--

Inuzuka Kiba

Status: General (fourth rank- partially under General Hatake Kakashi orders)

Sector: Back up attack (short distance) and fractional defense

Age: 22

--

Sai:

Status: Estine sentry (first rank- under Hatake Kakashi's orders)

Sector: Main attack (short distance) and fractional defense

Age: 21

--

Aburame Shino

Status: Court messenger, Estine sentry (second rank- under Sarutobi Asuma's orders)

Sector: Main defense and attack (long distance)

Age: 21

--

Rock Lee:

Status: Estine sentry (third rank- under Nara Shikamaru's orders)

Sector: Back-up attack and defense

Age: 20

--

(other)

--

Hidan:

Status: Advisor

Sector: Data networking

Age: 32

--

Deidara:

Status: Envoy (lol)

Sector: Foreign conciliation

Age: 26

--

Kabuto

Status: Court Medic and scholar (Pharmaceutical)

Sector: Medical

Age: 23

--

Yamato

Status: Court demon slayer

Sector: -

Age: 28

--

(bloodiedsug's words on DP-

I can't upload the new session...

because half of it got 'erased' (!!) by the stupid computer... I'll try to upload it as fast as I can, promise.

Meanwhile, I decided to upload this, as a compensation.

hope you had fun going through it.

Bear with me. )


	13. Initiation of conflict II

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #12- Initiation of conflict II)

(West of Ksingard, Readen woods, northeast)

Prince Sasuke held back a bitter smile. History.

He hoped to hell the girl was not interested in recent histories; he did not care for the gossip that surrounded his birth and the country's slow deterioration.

"What kind of history is appropriate for a court girl like you? Which of those dusty scrolls do you find the most intriguing? "

Hinata noticed with mounting anxiety that the prince's tone had visibly grown monotonous.

"I… am interested in the history of…Arudan. "

Bingo.

The amused and content smile had returned to the prince's otherwise somber face.

A court girl interested in the history of a rival country… that in itself was enough to interest him. She was definitely, inexorably unique.

"Tell me, about the history of Arudan. I want to know. "

Prince Sasuke did not know he would be regretting this request.

Because it went on for an hour, god forbid.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

"No…no, no… it can't be, mustn't be…"

Jiraiya was pacing inside the magnificent room, amidst a frenzy of dug through bags and parcels thrown about.

It looked like a tornado's hit; he seemed to be channeling a young kid who's taken extreme liking to the act of 'unpacking'.

"It isn't here!! …this is bad…"

He was positive…positive that he had the red parcel, the red package that was the only item he had carried himself; the rest, Naruto had carried.

Apart from the scrolls for the pervert paradise books he wrote himself, it happened to be the most important item he'd brought from Arudan…

It was the other main reason that he had come to Ksingard.

Tsunade would surely kill him if she knew he had lost it…no, she wouldn't kill him… she'd torture him very slowly… leave him in a world without a woman… a place where the beer barrels had holes and women didn't… (-if you don't get this joke… it's better if you don't. Tis very crude;;)

"The trail!! "

The Readen trail… he 'must' have left it there!

Or it must have been thrown off… but somewhere on the path…

He immediately stood up and walked out of the room.

Time to request a little something from King Itachi.

--

(Ksingard royal court, Cydia, adjacent to militia domes)

"Now wait here while I get the training robes… demon slayers get different gears than normal mercenaries do. "

As Sai trotted off towards the direction of the supply shack, Naruto scowled in impatience.

He seemed to be doing plenty of waiting these days… and he wasn't even a patient person to begin with.

This time, there wasn't even the Hinata girl to divert him; she had gone away with the prince, regretfully. He'd even endure the history talk only if she came back…

If only she came back…

Naruto was only looking for a distraction to put his mind off boredom, when he noticed a lone figure leaning back up against the high walls, a cigarette leaking smoke from the glowing end. He decided to make an 'acquaintance'… which meant he was bored to tears.

A young man with pulled back raven hair that stuck out in black tufts smiled at him, a corner of his lips lifting higher than the other.

He slipped the half burnt stub out of his mouth and casually snubbed it out; Naruto guessed the man was talking a break from his duties, a smoking break.

"You're the new meat at court, aren't you? I've heard. "

"Hi, yes I am, I'm Uzumaki Naruto! Who are you? "

The man crinkled his eyes and scratched the back of his head, his posture slouched, a bit abashedly. The gesture made him seem a bit on the vulnerable side, and infantile, considering how the usual court mercenaries acted.

He also wore a silver stud on one of his ears that reflected light in certain angles; this sealed Naruto's impression of the man as juvenile as himself, but with style.

Naruto guessed that the man was only about a few years older than he was. So… probably a lowly sentry or something, a court guard.

Perhaps someone he could talk without having to say '-san' or 'sir' every time, someone he could chat with when the stuffy court laws got too tiring.

Besides, the guy looked even more fed up with life than Naruto did; practically an 'all is troublesome' approach on life.

"Uh, I'm no one really important. I'd be seeing you round later… my division is next to Yamato's, and he's the court demon slayer, as you probably know. "

Naruto strained his mind to discern any cynicism or contempt vibes from the man's tone, but since he couldn't, he decided the mercenary was a decent guy.

The young sentry straightened, then proceeded to walk away.

Strangely enough, three swords were clacking around his leather cord belt, all of the three as long as the length of a regular katana.

Perhaps he was keeping those for his superiors while they were at their own business?

Poor guy, must be heavy.

He figured it was tough being a low level mercenary at a tightly wrought court like this…rules were everywhere.

At any rate, Sai came ambling back, the sallow skin tone clashing horribly with the garishly bright robes he was hauling back. He had witnessed the scene with the sentry.

He had his mouth open, as if to comment on something, than stopped.

Naruto thought he looked like an emo goldfish.

"What? "

He's gotten already used to the pale estine sentry; his former trepidation was gone.

Sai dubiously asked:

"…do you know who you were just speaking so blatantly to? "

"Um… considering the black robes… a mercenary! Aren't I right? Yeah, I'm catching up fast, eh? "

Sai did not smile back into Naruto's mock-clown face. Naruto thoughtfully suggested once more:

"Uh… a sentry then? Isn't it the same thing? "

Sai solemnly and as soberly as possible, informed Naruto:

"That was General Nara Shikamaru, third rank, in command of the tenth division army, 'and' the youngest ever to be elected to the higher parts of the militia hierarchy; he's 17 for fuck's sake. A regular prodigy. "

Naruto felt the indigestion come back, which had abated after he'd seen that the prince did not hold grudges for his wounds.

So he'd insulted a general this time, perfect.

Life was so good to him.

No, wait, 17?

"…17?! That's only a year older than me!"

He shouted indignantly, somehow feeling that his pride was degraded.

"Well, he's a genius. Unlike you."

The scary smile was back.

"He said he wasn't anyone important!! "

Sai smiled knowingly, than leaned forward suddenly.

Naruto jumped back, horrified, thinking for a crazy moment that Sai meant to kiss him…dear heavens…

And was relieved when he did not do anything of that sort.

Instead, he spoke.

"I advise you to listen to what I am about to inform you: In Ksingard's court, you can not be sure of anything. General Shikamaru 'might' forgive you, being the level headed lenient man that he is, but, not guaranteed. The only thing you can be sure of, is that probably everyone I'm about to introduce you to, is in higher rank than you are."

Sai stepped back, and finished off with a stony face.

"Perhaps it is wise, sagacious thing to be cautious. Assume you are of lower rank before you act. "

Naruto felt, for the first time since he'd relaxed, another pang of fear from the estine sentry's tone.

Something was wrong with this court.

And he felt a shy tingle shudder through his left shoulder.

"Shall we proceed? Yamato's sector is only a few meters ahead. "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Munificence)

"…and that is how the current King, King Gaara was set to throne!... oh… prince… Sasuke? You look…sick. "

He was not sick; he was bored to tears…

He had managed to listen and absorb all the information she had blurted out, though, in contrast to Naruto, who had just tuned her out.

"I'm fine. "

"…is it your… wounds? From last time… I, still can't say how much I appreciate… thank you so much for saving me!! "

The last words were practically screamed out, and the prince flinched.

Hinata blushed a bit, but smiled.

"I've…always wondered… what is it like to fight? Not necessarily fighting a demon but… just to fight? "

"…what do you mean? "

Sasuke felt the effects of the pills he had taken drift away; the acute pain from his injuries was returning.

But this was interesting; this was the first time that a girl had lasted this long without having been bedded or ordered out.

"Court women aren't allowed to train in the arts of swordsmanship… or any form of combats… I've always seen militia men walking around with swords clacking round their cords. It's… intriguing. "

She blushed again, aghast at having said too much.

She hadn't even told Neji that when he slipped out in the morning with his robes on to train… she was actually a bit envious of him. Envious, because he was allowed something she would never participate in, a boundary that was definitely closed off from her.

What was she doing here now, telling the prince the buried secrets from the bottom of her heart, a place where even she rarely notified?

"Intriguing you say…"

The prince suddenly pulled down the entire length of his silk robes, stripping off the fabric, exposing skin and the bloody bandages. He stopped there, only his torso bare.

Hinata gasped and without meaning to, inched backwards a step. The panic that she had forgotten was returning.

"…prince…Sasuke? "

He ignored her, and proceeded to taking the hook off the positioned bandage, and unrolling it, grimacing slightly as the stickiness removed itself from the gashes.

"…p…please stop, it's opening up again… "

She panicked; most of the cuts on the front had healed, but the bigger ones in the back were in the limbo of healing and opening up again.

Some of it had split open again and a thin line of blood trickled down his skin. He paced over to where she was standing now, and pushed a finger gently into her forehead, making her look up.

"What do you see? "

"…p…lease… I'll call the medics… the bandages…blood…"

Sasuke cast the soiled bandages on to the ground without a word.

When he looked down, the girl was still trembling at the sight of blood.

He spoke up quietly.

"From what I've heard, you know much about wars between countries… because history is usually about those. You are also aware of the men that walk around with one or two, sometimes even three swords hanging from their leather cords. They train from dawn still sundown, in organized troops. They obey their superiors and they go to war without complain when ordered. You are intrigued by this all. "

He gently pried loose her hands which had been clasped tightly around each other, and stuck one right onto an open cut located near his shoulder line. Hard.

It was she who gasped.

"Are you aware of this? "

When he let go, her right hand was sticky with the vibrantly red liquid.

She closed her eyes, biting her trembling lips, hoping that her legs would not give out.

Sasuke sighed.

"…I'm not meaning to, break your fantasy about the world men live in… but I'd rather you stick to history. When you're trained, it is for no other reason than to fight, to participate in a war that you probably don't even care about. Sometimes, it is to save your own neck. At any rate, it is a pretty dismal aspect on life. Because you have a choice of defending yourself and hurting others, life gets difficult. Fighting other men's war… it's easy to get… soiled. But…"

A piece of cloth materialized, and the prince wiped the already clotting blood from Hinata's hand while she stood with tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

The cloth was stained black, but her hand was wiped clean.

"… anything soiled can be refreshed, in some form of way. Might take a while, but you can somehow create a remedy, an antidote… but it takes some time, remember that. It's much easier to live without ever being tainted. "

"…b…but when you wipe it away, the smell of blood still clings to the skin…"

She stuttered at him, and he smiled cynically.

"Precisely. "

Sasuke walked over to a table set with jars, and picked up one. He dabbed some onto Hinata's hand and rubbed the oil smoothly into her skin.

The smell of hyacinths filled the room.

"Perhaps, now it's easier to not have remorse about the fact that you can't train. "

Her head was down, and she was now crying audibly, her shoulders heaving.

The prince was wondering if he had been too hard on her with the lesson when the tearful Hinata spoke up again.

"…I'm…sorry prince Sasuke… But… I'm still jealous of you!! "

She really did keep surprising him, didn't she?

"…of… me?"

"I never wanted to be born a girl, not if being one would make me live a docile life! I don't care about marriage or…or looking pretty! It gets so tiring escaping life by reading, there's a limit to how much you can avoid reality…"

Hinata raised a tearful face at the stunned prince.

"I want to be somebody that can change the world. "

--

(West of Ksingard, Readen woods, northeast)

A Ksingard envoy with ridiculously long tresses of golden hair was huffing and puffing down the Readen trails, viciously hacking at the soil with his walking stick.

He was grumping about the unofficial way in which King Itachi had so 'unceremoniously' sent him to Arudan, and on such short notice…

He had just returned yesterday, so why was it that he wasn't allowed rest?

Instead of rewarding him with a night's sleep, the king had merely requested him to go over the 'entire' forest trail, in search of a red package that might not even exist, belonging to the crazy Regalus priest.

"I do not, deserve this… I did not attend the Helm academy for fifteen years, 'just' to be rewarded like this… 'Search 'the trails Deidara, brilliant… just brilliant… "

As the envoy Deidara mouthed off profanity, a bird that had been perched contentedly on a tree above was woken by the calamity, and proceeded to take a dump while flying out of sight.

In other words, some bird excrement landed on Deidara's wheat gold hair, causing him to scream out even more profanity.

"…in hell!! I will have the damned mongrel cooked for dinner, sautéed in rosemary butter, and have it eaten alive while still roasting in the gutte…"

Here, he proceeded to trip over a lump that was prominent on the damp soil, and landed on the marshy side of the ground.

The wetness penetrated his lavish silk robes, and created a large indecent stain on the fabric.

"…cking mother of god!! Fucking forest traps! Devices!! Damned … oh? "

Deidara had been close to kicking away the lump that had tripped him over, but it turned out to be a package wrapped generously with layers of red silk.

The red package.

Slightly dirty, but no one minded a bit of dirt.

"Yes! Yes! Brilliant! Heaven has helped, rewarded me in the end…a trifle tardy in dishing it out but… yes, good. Very very good, I deserve this. "

He stood up abruptly, slipped in the bog, and skidded off to slam his head against a tree, the exact one with the bird that pooped on his head a few moments ago.

He only cussed a few, and then regained his composure, happily clutching his prize in his hands.  
The package that would be the key to his rest.

"Now let's see… all I have to do is hand back the…"

He stopped in his tracks, and looked around.

A forest-like silence took place, a kind of silence that included the sound of the leaves ruffling and the birds fluttering off.

They say curiosity killed the cat, but… Deidara was plenty curious, and there seemed to be no one around.

It got the better of him.

What could the Regalus priest be craving so badly that he'd asked the 'king' to request a search?

It must be…

"Jackpot! Indeed, some secret map to a gold mine? Perhaps that's why they had come to Ksingard… no, no, a plan… for an ambush! Perhaps they are planning to… to destroy Ksingard! I 'must' have a look, so I can be sure that no one's planning anything dangerous… yes, yes, it is my duty to do so…"

With this ridiculous excuse, he carried on with the opening of the package.

A large ancient scroll tumbled out amidst the fabric, and the envoy hurried to open it. He read the first line:

"Farewell the cities, crumbled in its own demise…what the fuck is this?! "

His darting eyes skimmed through the rest of what seemed to be a prophesy of some sort… a warning, an admonition…

"…holy…mother of hell…"

He knew something big was up by the time he finished the last sentence of the scroll.

"Reclaim the last of the first, lest history repeat itself. "

Last, of the first.

He'd heard that phrase many a time from his studies at the Helm academy, back in those days…

The first could only mean, especially in olden texts like this:

Former Ksingard.

And the last?

(bloodiedsug's words on DP-

Finally... 'finally' I'm starting properly on the story. (this one wasn't funny at all, plus, was late. Sorry 'bout that)

And by this time, all my readers probably got the gist that this is going to tumble into the roads of 'fantasy' before you know it (lol)..

So if you prefer realism, I guess Deathplay won't be much fun to you… oh well-Can't blame you for that, because I used to be that way too.

Hinata's a bit different from what you expected, isn't she? She's shy, but… you can make her break out of it, if you provoke her the right way.

And by the way… anyone noticed that Deidara used the word brilliant a lot? 'Why' do I get a feeling that he'd be British? That'd be so cool.

PS: why are the Akatsuki members that are on DP so far… are all so comical? XD, Hidan: information nut, Deidara: paranoid envoy

Bear with me.)


	14. Princely duties: Sasuke’s story

--

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH1- Start of the end

(Session #extra- Princely duties: Sasuke's story )

--

(Sasuke's perspective)

--

My mother died when I was all but a know-nothing toddler. About three, or four.

Unlike with the other court women, her funeral was deemed a funeral for a whore, and whores don't get to have a proper ceremony.

But it did get much publicity.

"This is ridiculous… have you heard the people cheer? They're half consumed in ecstasy in having the whore killed off at last; though, that's a bit of a rash assumption, isn't that so, Zetsu-san? "

Two men were talking in the hallways that led to the royal discussion room; one was a mere boy with glasses, a scrawny body and a medic's apprentice robes that immediately tagged him as a future-scholar, the other was a man with beady cruel eyes wearing the attire of a court messenger. I stood there, observing them with all the dull curiosity of a child that had just lost everything.

The medic boy was speaking in hushed but urgent tones, his youthful features contorted with the absurdness of the situation at hand.

The older man spoke up:

"It seems like she's dead from illness, but who knows if… "

Here, the former court messenger, Zetsu, looked around once in alert and spotted me. He faltered for a second, but narrowed his eyes, concluding I was not that much of a threat since my mother was six feet deep in the ground, literally.

With a cruel twist of his lips, he continued:

"…if she was poisoned, bit by bit, till her death came to seek her? "

Kabuto, then just a mere apprentice, jumped in alarm when he saw I had been listening all along. He indignantly stared at the malicious court messenger who seemed to be enjoying the fact that I was listening word to word.

"Zetsu-san!! This… this still counts as treason! "

"Go figure, my dear boy. That runt is a 'nothing' at this court, now that the whore is dead and long gone. With her missing, do you seriously think the king will keep this embarrassing and shameful misfit of a bastard child in this court? Preposterous! "

The old asshole had enough nerves to approach me then, still smiling like a jester on hold.

"Wages are, he'll be living among the street vagrants before dawn hits. "

It was a good thing I didn't look up then; my face was nothing like an innocent child's.

I knew he'd be smiling.

I'd have torn his face off for good, that son of a bitch.

--

Monthly parades in the street was the worst.

I heard snips of conversations that floated up to my palanquin; words that weren't so much as guided as a run-down monastry with absolutely nothing to steal from.

"Mama, is that the one? Is he it? "

"Shtt… Masato, you musnt talk of the prince this way… "

A middle aged woman cupped her cracked palms against the boy's mouth, hindering from him speaking up. The man next to them, most likely the father, grunted with disapproval and spoke blatantly:

"Let the kid talk as he wants to, Akiko, it's only the bastard wearing a prince's mask. Inside, he's just as 'adulterated' as the rest of us… clever choice of words, innit, eh? Adulterated? "

As the man guffawed, unwisely, a young mercenary suddenly swooped down on him and gave him a curt blow on the head with the handle of his katana.

The man crashed into the muddy ground heads first, swallowing grit. When he looked up after his moment of shock as passed, his eyes directly met those of the youngest ever trainee to get promoted up to an estine sentry level—Shikamaru.

"Looks like you're eating some mud down there. Bad for you teeth. "

"Wha…?! "

The 'then' estine sentry Shikamaru crouched down and peered into the man's muddy face, eyes scrunching and lips curled.

"Much too hot a day to be making bad puns about someone else's problems… especially when that someone has the power to promptly severe that mouth from your head, don't you think? "

The man looked indignant and shamed at being chastised by a kid less than half his age, but reluctantly stood back while the rest of the procession rolled on.

I was burning in anger and shame inside, until Shikamaru poked his head in and mildly commented:

"Cozy in here, prince? Know that you're bored out of your mind; I'm personally too lazy to enjoy any of these sessions… don't mind the crowd; they're only as cranky as you are, prince Sasuke. "

That earned a smile.

--

There was one other than Shikamaru too, that treated me the same as he did the rest.

"Well, Sasuke, I'd hardly call that a perfect lunge. If this had been battlefield… "

Here, the tall silver haired man, who had just effortlessly dodged my umpteenth attempt at a lunge, impassively slid the edge of his sword against my side.

"…you'd be dead. "

General, Hatake Kakashi. My mentor and teacher.

Breathing raggedly, I looked up and met his cool composed pair of eyes, those with a large jagged scar running down from his left one. Exhausted or not, I felt another queer sense of attachment to the man; apart from him, I got treated as dirt.

Royal dirt, yes, but dirt all the same.

As is sensing my sudden tension, his eyes suddenly crinkled once, than immediately turned stern, and a searing pain went up my side.

He had hit it with the dull edge of his sword.

--

"I think you've mastered your swordsmanship pretty damn well good, Sasuke. It's probably time you moved on to… other, subjects. Might as well, since I'd committed enough treason by calling your name repeatedly… can't be helped, though. "

Kakashi sensei placed a large hand, the one so roughened by years of war and covered in calluses, on top of my unruly raven hair.

"I can't relate to a pupil if I'd have to add the words my dear prince every single time… just plain Sasuke saves some breath. "

I didn't reply, nor smile along with him. I would have in normal circumstances, but not now. I did not want to leave.

No, I did not want to leave this class. I wanted to never leave this training session.

I wanted to be treated like a somebody, the person that I aspired to be and maybe would be, if not for all the initial assumptions on my past's behalf.

"…Kakashi sensei. "

"Hmm? What, any last words… prince Sasuke? "

"I don't think I have mastered everything. "

The general, who had been walking away with a leisurely gait, suddenly turned back with a raised brow. His expression was hardly unfathomable this time; he seemed confused.

There I stood, amongst the debris of wooden bits of the dummy that I had used for so long in practice, holding a thin saber and staring down, as if to bore a hole on the floor with my glare.

Kakashi sensei returned, walking slowly up to me, then finally in front of me.

He asked calmly:

"And why is that? "

"…I've seen you… in your training sessions with the army. "

"…and? "

I raised my head, eyes wide in lingering hope and desperate, incessant craving.

"You always use two swords. One katana and one shorter version of a regular saber. "

Sensei looked down upon me and took a step sideward.

The two sheaths clacked involuntarily by his side, held tight by the customary leather cord of a mercenary. One long and one short.

"…you've watched me well. Yes, but what are you trying to say Sasuke? Though, it's quite clear what you want. "

He placed his index finger in the middle of my forehead, of which was bending downwards. I couldn't lift my head, lest he declines my wish to keep on training with him.

I wanted to learn by him, never anyone else.

Especially not that Yamato.

"You want to be a double wielder. Do you know how much time that would consume? By training alone? "

I looked up and grinned crookedly in confidence, because then I knew he was going to say yes.

"That's exactly what I want. "

That's how I acquired the status as a double wielder.

--

"Sasuke. "

"Fuck off, dear brother, your 'majesty'. "

Not a day went by without Itachi's attempting to rouse me from being anything but absolutely useless. I was good with my swords and wasn't a dunce for reading scrolls, but I never paid attention.

If whoring and idling earned a spot as an academic subject, I might have surpassed myself and brought home a couple of ribbons of excellence. Except for the fact that my home is a palace and what I do best are subjects of contempt, per se.

"You're not different, and if you only paid some fucking…"

I was the only one capable of making Itachi lose his head and cuss, effective to its cause since it's always unnerving for others to see their beloved king scowl and swear.

"…attention to your studies, you'd be passing as an adequate r…"

"What, because I am inadequate now? Is that what you mean to say? "

He gave me a dull impassive eye, one full of weariness.

"Forget word plays for word play's sake; this only tires you out. "

"No, only you. "

"Enough. You should straighten up fast, before the time comes when I'll have to postpone an engagement so that you co…"

"What?! "

I had lost my stance. I swiveled and eyed Itachi with absolute shock.

It was he now who had the upper hand- I bet the devil that he was grinning under all that mask of 'deadpan' face he was giving me.

"Why, did you not think you'd ever be married, brother? It's all for Ksingard, mind th…"

"Married to what motherfucker?! "

"…mind your words. "

He did not bring up the subject after my suppressed outburst, but I'm afraid he might take it up soon again.

I'd never know.

--

"Why… does Yamato hate you? "

It's the question that the blonde idiot timidly asked me after two weeks into his training.

Pray tell, give me the definition of timid; he scrunched up his face and placed it directly next to mine, asking with all the idiotic inquisitiveness of a child quarter his age.

"He has his reasons, I have mine. "

"Why? What reasons… prince? "

"Get your face away, damn it!! "

"Why? "

"Sai!! Take him away!! "

"Hey! "

--

"I want to be someone who can change the world. "

"You'd probably have more chance of doing that than I do. "

"…B…but you're the prince! Of Ksingard, the biggest country in all of Aroni…"

"I have no need for changes. I won't try. "

The girl just suddenly stood there, probably half wishing she could slump down onto the floor. I was being too complicated for her to comprehend.

I knew I was being a complete bastard, but I proceeded to smirk bitterly.

"Or, even if I tried, I doubt I'd succeed in anything. "

She looked up in alarm.

"I'm the bastard prince, aren't I? "

--

(bloodiedsugs's words on DP-

Just random pieces of memories that Sasuke has.

Sorry this was atrociously late.

Next begins chapter two

Bear with me. )


	15. Ksingard's peace

--

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH2- Kingdom of Lies

(Session #1- Ksingard's peace )

--

(Heart of Arudan, Royal palace court, Discussion hall)

King Gaara had been signing the last batch of paper works when the door crashed open.

"Your majesty, the troops are all set. We're ready. "

Arudan's own head commander stood at the doorway, his tawny hair windswept and robes sand-ridden. King Gaara did not reply but just merely set down his royal seal and proceeded to opening a drawer. He took out a small dagger heavily adorned with tourmalines.

The commander grimaced and leaned against the wooden frame of the door, commenting:

"Formality till the end, Gaara? It's going to be irksome and tiring to keep up this facade. "

Gaara finally looked up and met the skeptical face of his older brother Kankuro, who was eyeing the royal seal with plenty of revulsion.

"By now, you 'must' know. Landing a war on Ksingard is pretty much a stupid thing to do. A death-wish. "

King Gaara started absentmindedly polishing the dagger, his expression unfathomable. When he spoke, he spoke with a tad too much of airiness, something that he rarely bore in his demeanor.

"I thought you said our troops were ready, Kankuro. "

The commander tensed at that, staring at the inexorable king with all the impatience and tolerance of an older brother. A commander at the age of 25, his face had the weathered look of a veteran soldier, but politics still exasperated him.

It exasperated him even more to see his baby brother with 7 years of age difference, make a stupid decision which he wouldn't be able to stop.

And he wanted to stop it at all costs.

"Itachi's smart, and Ksingard's a strong country. When I said it was weak… I meant it was weak for 'their' standards. "

Gaara was still silent.

"Brother, you've done a great job in building up this country, 'that' I can acknowledge without any doubts attached…but. Look what you're trying to do, and I mean this, in all sincerity. 'Listen' for once and you can decide whether or not I'm committing treason, 'later'. But for now, let's be reasonable here. "

Gaara lifted his solemn eyes and watchfully observed Kankuro's earnest but weary face. Kankuro continued:

"Ksingard has its abundant flow of soldiers at the ready, all trained at Fleorte or some other military country, and it's a big country. Itachi has us outnumbered, and you know out sources are scare. We were originally nomads, people of the desert. Our country is built around sporadic spots of the oasis that are surrounded by desert sand… do you seriously believe we have any chance? "

Kankuro took another deep breath before inquiring with a creased brow.

"…what are you trying to prove? "

He recoiled when he saw a sudden smile sprouting on the face of the young king. It wasn't necessarily a smile reserved for kindness—more likely one that came whenever there was need for cynicism. It was psychotic. It was riddled with barely suppressed madness.

The young king spoke with suppressed malicious contempt.

"That the people of Ksingard are liars. "

The commander frowned.

"…liars? "

Gaara showed another hint of a smile, a queer light dancing erratically in his eyes.

"The impudence of them, to name themselves the 'descendants' of Ksingard… "

He raised the tourmaline dagger, aiming loosely at the decorative pottery dish that the Ksingard envoy had presented him with two weeks ago.

"…when the last of the descendants is alive and well. "

The somewhat delicate wrist snapped and the dagger flew.

The sound of breaking pottery filled the room.

--

(Cydia, Ksingard, palace court militia dome, training hall)

The room was darkened and musty, the years of unopened windows leading to ageless dimness that seeped into the every niche of the grey walls.A small iron cage was placed at the center of the room, with two figures standing in front of it.

The cage rattled.

"So. Has the prince given you the tour around the palace? "

"Sai san mostly did the job, but he and Hinata accompanied me. "

Naruto's face was bright red as he aimed to concentrate all his chakra into the iron cage. The creature inside didn't budge.

Yamato stood behind with a skeptical look, his arms crossed.

He spoke again:

"It's curious, you see, to see the prince associate with you. Have you ever wondered… why he wants you around? "

Naruto stopped concentrating and dropped down on the floor, panting like a dog.

"I don't know… I just thought he was, you know, showing his grudge for what I did to him by tagging me the entire time… 'Accidentally, didn't mean to'! And I'm really really sorry. I am. "

Yamato ignored the part about the 'sorry', and curtly walked towards the tiny iron cage, to see if there were any improvements.

"You should be cautious around him, Naruto. "

"Yes, I know. He's the prince of Ksingard, and I'm a mere Regalus app…"

"No. I meant it in a different way. "

Naruto stared up inquiringly at the brown haired demon slayer, who stood looming above him.

He asked, slightly apprehensive:

"What other way should I be cautious? "

"…he's bad karma. No one is safe around him. "

Naruto cocked his head, apparently having not heard the words spoken.

"Huh? What did you say, Yamato san? "

"I was saying… "

Still speaking, Yamato bent down to examine the contents of the cage by holding it up and bringing his face down. A small creature scuttled about, and squirted dirty water on to his face, a brown putrid concoction that bore resemblance to watery dog shit.

Yamato turned grimly and eyed his pupil, the slime dripping off his features as Naruto chuckled awkwardly from the stone floor.

"Haha… he not dead yet? Ha."

"Are you…sure, you're an apprentice? "

Yamato failed to conceal his shock at the incompetence of the boy.

This, to which Naruto grinned sheepishly.

"We've had two weeks to this… and you still haven't mastered controlling your chakra. This was a 'scullrag' for god's sake! You can kill it by stepping on it! It doesn't even count as a demon, now, really. Are you sure… you're an apprentice? "

Naruto felt a bit indignant at the incessant criticism and doubts; it wasn't his fault Jiraiya always was too busy to train him more… there was always sake to be drunk, sleep to be slept, women to be seen…

He resentfully watched Ksingard's famed demon slayer pacing around and wiping off his face with a leftover training robe. Naruto decided to do a spot of explaining before word got round that he was a complete abominable inadequate idiot.

"Yes! Well… consider this, Yamato-san. I became an apprentice only a few months ago, when I was picked by sir, you know Jiraiya sensei, right? So I had very little time to master whatever I need to master in learning demon slaying… so. "

Yamato stopped his pacing and looked at the boy in a new curious light.

"…only a few months ago? "

"Yep. Sir, well, he decided to have me as an apprentice and let me follow him here and d…"

Naruto raised his head thoughtfully as he spoke and had the shock of his life.

Yamato, who had been standing a few paces away, was right in front of him, his face shadowed by darkened room's walls. Two eyeballs seemed to be floating up at its own accord, a slit of a mouth accompanying the frightening sight.

Naruto flipped.

"Gyaaah!! "

Yamato spoke calmly.

"Do go on. "

"D… do you even know how much you scare people, Yamato san? "

Naruto panted out, inching away from Yamato, who only closely followed the terrified boy in all his persistence.

"Well Naruto. I have only one thing to say. "

"Which is…? "

Yamato finally drew back slightly, and opened his mouth to say something when the doors to the training dome suddenly crashed open.

Light flooded into the darkened room and the demon slayer and the boy squinted to see who had so unceremoniously interrupted their talk.

"H…hello, good afternoon Yamato san. Naruto kun. "

"You, dobe, get on out. "

"Good afternoon, Yamato san. Naruto."

Naruto was not surprised to see prince fuckwit, the Hinata girl and the creepy estine sentry, Sai on the doorway.

This has been almost a ritual for two weeks, although Naruto still couldn't gouge why Sasuke required his presence, as he had told Yamato. Though he could pretty much guess why the prince required Hinata's presence. That was obvious indeed, even though the girl wasn't aware of it.

"Our training session is not over, prince… Sasuke. "

Yamato skipped a beat over before the word Sasuke, but the prince ignored it. The man had issues, but it couldn't be helped.

"He'll be here earlier tomorrow, but for now, we leave. "

Sasuke spoke with unmeant authority, preferring not to prolong the argument.

Yamato quietly glared as the group left, the door swinging to leave the room encased in darkness once more. There was no use in protest.

Alone, the demon slayer quietly removed the equipments he utilized for chakra training, still musing over what Naruto had said. Yamato had accidentally let on more than he had meant to, but he was still fazed by the fact that the boy had only become an apprentice a few months ago.

Perhaps it wasn't too weird; Arudan probably had different system from Ksingard, but it was still odd that Naruto wasn't trained while he was young.

In Ksingard, it was a rule to take away the child that showed promise and train him from within the court, rigorously from until he/she was 6, 8 to 18,20. Yamato himself had been plucked from his low class family when he was five. It was because there weren't that many children that showed promise. There were barely one in five years or more. He doubted Arudan would have so radical a policy so that they would squander years of mandatory training.

Frowning, Yamato whispered into thin air the words his sensei had told him so long ago:

"Demon slayers are born not made. Never made. "

--

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Royal Palace Gardens)

The garden willow had been newly trimmed, and the palace was filled with the heavy scent of greens.

Hinata merrily waved across the walls that separated the garden from the halls at Hiashi and Neji who were apparently walking back from the mandatory training sessions.

Neji hesitantly waved back, but not before taking another pointed look at the prince who was indifferently strolling by her side.

They all moved on.

"Oh, so… so Jiraiya san still hasn't found the red package? "

"Yeah, and he's stumped. He had been muttering in his sleep, about someone named Tsunade crushing him into the size of a walnut…"

Hinata laughed softly along with Naruto; she had become much acquainted with the rouge Regalus priest in the past three days. Jiraiya had an abundant amount of stories and facts stored in his head about the history of Arudan, which Hinata appreciated much. Naruto tended to stay away when they were having their discussions, lest he be caught like a fool with nothing to say but the ramen recipe.

Prince Sasuke and Sai remained reticent, both of their expressions still.

"Oi, oi prince, I've got a question! "

Naruto piped up all of a sudden; he had recalled the very question Yamato had asked him just a few minutes ago. Sasuke did not give assent, but he went on anyways.

"Why do you have me around? "

"...What? "

"I thought you called me a… a fucking nuisance. "

The prince pointedly glowered at the ignorant blonde, noticing Hinata gasp inwardly at the profanity. Sai merely looked curious.

"Because…"

For once, his brain did not function properly.

Sasuke always had excuses; his head seemed to excel in that area of expertise. However, his clever word plays and fast thinking that even duped Itachi was useless here.

He made do with a lame excuse:

"…I'm interested in the…history of Arudan too. "

Hinata literally gasped and stared up in curious adoration, while Sai cringed inwardly at the prince's dilemma.

He was the only one who noticed Sasuke averting his eyes to the willows.

"Eh? You never let on!... now I get why you enjoy being with Hinata that much! You've got that in common prince! "

Naruto hollered, clueless, and turned to Hinata.

"You guys would make 'great' couples! "

It made her blush like nothing else; she cast her eyes down and walked in smaller snappier steps. She was suddenly extremely interested in the ways the stone steps cracked; in the ways the moss covered those steps.

"Hinata girl, look out! "

Naruto's warning was delivered a second too late; Hinata crashed into the low branch heads on, and slipping on the dewy moss, slid backwards into a prominent messy fall… which was hindered.

A heavy arm caught her from behind, and her breath caught her with it, and steadied her.

Her head was bent backwards; all she could see was the sky, and a face glancing down at her. The sun shone down and shadowed the prince's face, but she could imagine the irritated expression already.

He must think of her as a klutz.

"S…sorry, I'm so sorry, I… "

As she gabbled on, Sasuke looked down in to her panicky face, remembering the conversation he had with Itachi the other day. His face was rendered into another grimace as his brother had, for the first time, successfully managed in daunting him.

A marriage?

No way.

"...should have looked...I, I'm so sorry, I..."

While the prince was occupied with his sullen thoughts, Naruto bent down and whispered:

"Uh…I think it is a good idea to stand up now, Hinata. Now see, you're still on the prince's arm. "

Hinata jump started to a stand, her arms and shoulders rigid like a soldier's.

Even Sai was impressed.

"Now that's a true soldier's posture that even General Kakashi can't complain about. You have potential, Hinata san. "

Hence, the blushing.

"Perhaps, even more than the prince himself! Now speaking of you, prince Sasuke, don't take me wrong. But General Kakashi had told me… you were neglecting your training nowadays. And I'm sure it isn't the scars that are bothering you, as you trained avidly before in worse conditions… May I ask why? "

The prince scowled at the mention of him neglecting the training. Sai amiably smiled, his posture dutifully set, but his eyes traveling to the girl standing next to him, with a red bruise mark on her forehead.

Sasuke scowled harder.

"Before I amuse you with my answer, I'd like to hear your side of the story too. "

He had finally found his brain; the prince confidently challenged the estine sentry, gazing at him cynically.

"Yes? "

Sai asked, perplexed, blinking.

Sasuke continued in a critical voice:

"'You're a first rank estine sentry… I'm sure you have better things to do, than tag around like a puppy on a leash. This dobe,…"

Here, he pointed at Naruto who indignantly stared back in silent protest.

"..already seems to be acquainted with the court. Now let me hear is, Sai. 'Why' are you still around? Shouldn't you be in the militia, helping out? "

Both Naruto and Hinata was rapt in attention with this curious sight; the prince interrogating an estine sentry, where between his words, lied the true intention of his sudden speech: get lost.

Sai was unfazed, his mild but creepy smile still lingering around his lips as he spoke engagingly.

"Oh, there's not much to do around the militia these days Prince Sasuke, except for the mandatory training. "

The prince glowered at his missed point, but the estine sentry continued in all his serenity.

Sai gestured at the painfully blue sky, and the palace courts that stretched far as the eye could see.

"Ksingard's a peaceful place. "

--

(bloodiedsugs's words on DP-

So there's that… updated. Finally, the story starts. Chapter two: Kingdom of lies

Long… it killed me, lol.

I have a question: is my story too complicated? Too many things going on? Too much characters?.. not enough SasuHina? (lol, i know)

Because I'm starting to get confused…

Oh yeah, and btw… I've already stated the itahina would not come for a long time…. Sorry guys T.T; it's coming though.

PS: I'm happy to add, people are adding more comments on DP than other stories I've written... and its alerts actually surpassed HSBK o.o; (although it can't beat it on faves, lol)

Always makes me happier, so I'm uploading a bit faster than scheduled.

Bear with me)


	16. The Fleorte Proposal

--

DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals

CH2- Kingdom of Lies

(Session #2- The Fleorte Proposal)

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)

The evening was cool, a normally 'would-be' peaceful time in the palace, when the training sessions mostly ended and negotiations began.

Which, also meant that it wasn't peaceful at all, in another sense.

"What… do you mean, you refuse? "

An argument was taking place in the discussion hall.

King Itachi looked up from the mass of paper works he was tending to and set his cold eyes on his defiant brother.

The king's voice was strained, and servants fretted about, insensible to anything practical for the present circumstances. There was nothing they could do to stop king Itachi from quarrelling his younger brother, as undignified it looked for the two royalties.

"It is all I mean, brother. I refuse. "

"This is your duty to your country, Sasuke, you know trouble's been brewing the last months… and we're not even sure about the negotiations that we've put up with Fleorte… it's this that should seal the deal. Why are you refusing at a time like this…brother? "

Prince Sasuke took a sharp breath and glowered evenly back at Itachi while he enunciated:

"I'm not marrying some fucking whore princess you set me up with, just to cut the country some slack. I'm not your damned little chess piece that you can move around whenever you want. "

Itachi glared back, and attempted to state his points in composed manner, but failed.

"We could have war with Arudan, it's a possibility that's been looming ever since the envoy fiasco… no, even before that. Ever since that new king built up that desert wasteland into a capable kingdom… we need 'every' resource we can get. The war might render this country useless unless it has reliable back-up! "

"So let it. "

Itachi threw down the pen he had been signing the papers with and stood up, his robes billowing. His shoulders set rigid, he glared at the rebellious figure that stood in front in all his indifference.

"Sasuke, do you even 'care' about this country?! "

The king shouted down at the prince.

The prince cringed for a split second, but refused to back away.

He instead walked up closer to Itachi's desk, and leaned into his brother's face, his deadpan eyes open wide in emphasis.

"…as a matter of fact, no. "

King Itachi's lips curled back in disgust, his fingers unintentionally crumpling the paper he had been reading over just minutes ago, before this crazy discussion began.

Itachi had known all along Sasuke wouldn't go down easy, but this was ridiculous. The prince awarded his older brother with a twisted mocking smile and threw his arms up in a 'giving up' fashion.

"What…did you expect, 'your fucking majesty'? Brother, this country 'despises' me! The people loathe me and mock me; they call me a bastard! "

"And you are not doing anything, to help your reputation, aren't you? "

Itachi was struggling to keep his tone down, for there were people present.

Hidan was smiling under his bowed head, watching the royal dispute that was unfolding before his eyes as if he would have watched a game of ball. He decided to have a heart to heart with Shino after the scene blew over; this would be something interesting to gossip about during the general's supper period.

"You'd never know. "

The prince suddenly spoke up in a half quavering, maddened tone.

King Itachi curiously noted the change in Sasuke's voice, but before he could speak, the prince started to back out of the room with his back to the door, still talking:

"You didn't have to try. You never had to try. "

The king frowned.

"Sasuke. "

Prince Sasuke returned a skeptical smirk, his nonchalant poise suddenly regained. He spoke up one last time, his hands on the handle of the door.

He was smiling again.

"You're the legitimate one. You're the fucking king. You figure this shit out."

The door slammed, and he was gone.

Silence filled the room.

--

(Cydia, Ksingard, palace court militia dome, training hall)

Naruto leaned back into the mossy walls that separated the gardens from the training courts and discussion halls, sighing a weary sigh that had all of his fatigue compacted into it.

Across the lawn he could spot prince fuckwit's dome, and from his back were the training courts and the palace court militia dome, from which he had been training all day, with Yamato.

Still, no sign of his 'hidden' talent that Jiraiya had 'assured' him of.

Prince fuckwit seemed busy today, and even Hinata girl didn't drop by- he was feeling quite lonely for the day. Sai kept him company regularly, but even Naruto was starting to have his doubts, wondering if this creepy but formal estine sentry really had nothing to do, just like what prince Sasuke had said. In all, it had been a disappointing day, one in which he didn't care for.

Suddenly a shadow draped across him, and something burned.

"Wha…Hello? Hot!! "

"Oh damn. "

A lanky figure was standing over him, hands jabbed in the pockets of his black training robes, three swords clacking about strapped in the leather cords.

"Sorry about that, ash dropped. "

It was the prodigy general, Nara Shikamaru, a cigarette hanging appropriately from the corner of his grinning lips, amiably raising a hand at the slumped Naruto who was desperately flicking away the hot ash from the burning tip.

"H…hello, general. "

"Ah now, none of that, call me Shikamaru. "

Naruto sat down again, and pushed his bottom lips out and lamented:

"I got tricked in to doing that, you know. Some joker told me to call him by his name, then reported me to Sai when I did… boy, did he give me another ...lecture. It was some… guy called… Hidan? I accidentally just called him Hidan san, and he reprimanded me. Well how was I to know he was a first rank genera…"

The general languidly cocked his head in confusion.

"…Hidan's not a general. Let alone first rank. "

"What?! "

Naruto jerked up and stared into the impassive eyes of the general. Shikamaru continued:

"He's just the info master of the court. "

Naruto exploded.

"That ASS!! …wait, then why did Sai give me a lecture?"

Shikamaru grinned, the lids of his eyes drooping in a mild hearted manner.

"Sai was probably having his fun too. "

While Naruto seethed, general Shikamaru genially sat down on the grass, crushing his cigarette into the mossy wall.

"You got acquainted well? Heard you're good friends with the prince. "

Distracted by the sudden change of topic, Naruto frowned.

"Friends? Friends… huh. Well, maybe you can call it that. Hmm. "

"You don't seem too happy. "

"Friends seem like a strong word… isn't there anything less… mushy? "

General Shikamaru laughed out, a short youthful laugh that seemed to pack in all his juvenile antics still present in his conscience—he was 17, indeed. Then he turned to look at the blonde haired boy from Arudan who had so miraculously survived the threat of beheading by treason, at least a million times over.

"I guess it's still awkward though, for you to train with Yamato san and still keep up a good relationship with the prince. "

Naruto perked up.

"Oh yeah! I've been meaning to ask that… but Sai only gave me this creepy smile when I asked him… and I can't ask prince fuckw… Sasuke about it neither. Can 'you' tell me? "

The young general gave him a curious smirk, one that was void of any malice, one that seemed natural.

It was just a smirk for smiling's sake.

"Do you really want to know about Yamato and Prince Sasuke's relationship? "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Munificence)

"It's good to see you Sasuke, socializing. "

General Kakashi stood quietly under the widely set curtains that blocked his view from the prince.

Prince Sasuke, who had been soothing his rage alone in his room for the past slow hour, welcomed this intrusion with all his heart.

"…I've neglected my training, I'm sorry, sensei. "

The prince spoke up slowly, the words rolling in his mouth like an intrusive slab of rock.

"But you didn't need to get it through me by Sai. "

He couldn't keep the accusing tone out of his voice.

Kakashi replied easily.

"I mean it. "

Prince Sasuke let his tension drop off his body for once; it was Kakashi sensei- he could afford to be laid back with his old time teacher.

The general threw back the curtains and entered the room; for once, he was without his militia gear, and was clad in robes that were a hue of light magenta. He spoke in a mild tone. No sign of his leather cords or the two swords he always hoarded around.

"So, what is that boy to you, the one who'd almost … killed you. You have been around him a lot these days; I've seen and… heard. "

The prince scoffed.

"He's an idiot. "

"You seem to enjoy his presence. "

Sasuke raised his eyes up at the general, as if to challenge him to speak outright what he meant to say. But Kakashi was too skilled at his expertise of speech to fall under the challenge, and merely pulled back by bringing up another topic.

"Anyways… I heard about you and King Itachi's small dispute this evening. "

"I knew that was what you were here for, from the start. "

The prince knew definitely that his tone was too sullen and incredibly rude. He could not stop from being that way though.

"Prince Sasuk…no, Sasuke. Your brother is not a… god. He can't manage everything on his own. As capable as he might be, he needs help. "

Prince Sasuke turned slowly, his back to the general. His tone still remained resentful.

"He's got all the help he needs. Why do you think he has that many servants milling about in this court? "

"He needs his 'brother', not a servant. "

The silver haired general stopped five paces away from where the prince crouched on the bed. The boy had his torso rigid, his mood indignant.

"But I can never be a whole brother, I'm an half. "

The prince felt the petulance rolling off his tongue as he spoke, and abhorred himself for it. He sounded like a self indulgent baby, indeed.

"That is… childish of you, as treason as this is, prince. Sasuke. "

"Sorry sensei, may I leave for now? I … want to think. Alone. "

--

(North of Ksingard central city (Cydia), Hyuuga residence, third wing)

"Hinata… your father and I've been speaking. "

Neji was acting odd today, not his usual self. Hinata could tell; she was used to living with her beloved cousin now, and he wasn't serious like this. But here he was now, speaking in a low tone that he rarely used with Hinata.

She wondered.

He walked about the room in an anxious manner, hesitating to speak.

"It's about… the way the prince tows you around the court with that rogue beast of a boy, you should know, from Arudan. We should take caution- who knows what that boy and the priest has in mind? "

Her head snapped up in protest. So that was what it was.

"N…Naruto isn't a beast! He's nice, and Jiraiya san is not a bad person! "

Staring at the defiant Hinata, Neji wondered if the years of living under Hiashi's wing of protection and careful inspection had rendered Hinata a little too naïve for court life.

"But we should at least be wary, Hinata… listen to me! It's for your own goo… Hinata! "

Hinata jumped off the bed in which she had been perched just minutes ago, amiably chatting with Neji about court life, eating biscuits and buttered rolls. She ran out of the room, uncharacteristically slamming the door, so Neji knew better than to follow. Her eyes burned with frustrated tears as she ran.

Why was he being so mean?

He wasn't a stiff person, he was nice. Why couldn't he understand this… one… time…

She ran so hard, she didn't notice there was somebody up ahead... until she had crashed into that somebody, hard.

They both fell in heaps, the girl in her pure robe of lilac, and the boy in his magnificent robes of bright fuchsia that bore the silver dragon, emblem of Ksingard's royal court.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court garden path)

"…Prince Sasuke? …I, um. Good morn…evening. "

She cursed herself for being such a klutz.

This was two days in a row of knocking herself over in front of the prince, and he must be getting tired of this routine. Hinata guessed that he was probably staring at her that way with his moodless eyes, because he thought she was an impossible, unladylike freak of nature...and she was blushing too. A human tomato.

That was not what he had in mind, though.

The tense prince stared down at Hinata's eerily glowing lavender eyes, thinking over the proposal Itachi had mentioned only hours ago.

"…have you heard? "

"Y…yes? "

"We might have a war, with Arudan. "

"O…oh. "

This was certainly not one of the normal greetings she's encountered with, ever.

Hinata wondered if she should feign shock; it was just that… her father Hiashi, was a first rank general in the militia, not to mention Neji, who had become an estine sentry in a short space of time. It was harder for her to 'not' know about what might happen and what might not…Yes. She was aware of the fact that the relationship between Ksingard and Arudan was strained, though she had no idea of how much.

Prince Sasuke noticed her lack of surprise in her tone, and decided to drop the bomb.

"And… I might get married in just a month's time. "

This, she did not have to feign shock.

Her mouth dropped down.

"M…married? "

She slumped a little against the marble walls, robes still spread over the ground.

In fact, they were both still sitting on the ground.

"B…but the… majesty himself is not… married. "

"He's the king, he gets to do whatever he wants. I'm supposed to marry this… bratty sounding princess from Fleorte, they're already attempting to set up negotiations. "

Sasuke's tone was dull, as if he was playing over a mere recording of his voice.

Hinata mulled over this information a couple of times, and decided that… she still could not comprehend… why? She was blind to politics, yes, but she had never heard of a country, especially one as big as Ksingard, tossing away their prince to a country that was of lesser power and status than it was.

"B… but. Will you …go away to Fleorte then? You won't be… staying in Ksingard anymore? "

She cursed herself again; why did it matter?

It was what the 'king' had decided, and besides, this person sitting in front of her was the 'prince', of course, she shouldn't have even gotten her hopes up, she 'knew', it was just for entertainment's sake, this… business of having her around, a change of environment…

Was Neji right, after all?

"And I'm stumped here. "

"H…huh? "

The prince had suddenly spoken, and he looked disgusted.

He spoke with contempt.

"I don't feel like marrying anyone, I don't see the point… but if I absolutely have to, and am being forced to… I'd prefer to marry a girl from 'my' country. "

"…p…prince Sasuke? "

While Hinata sat digesting what he had just said, the prince decided quickly enough what he needed, and mostly, wanted to do. He grabbed the girl, gently, if that was even possible, and landed his mouth against hers.

Dazed, she let her eyes snap open and absorbed the crazy unlikely image of the prince's face close, too close to her face… did it matter that it was her first kiss?

While the girl melted silently, the prince was still thinking. As much as he knew what he was doing would land him in some great deal of consequence… never had he dared touch a girl from a family with lineage, like some fucking pedigree if he should use so coarse a simile, especially the daughter of a general…

Forget Itachi, he was going to do whatever he wanted. That was what he was there for, the 'bastard' prince.

He wasn't going to go easy.

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court garden path, behind walls)

"Well well, this makes a pretty enough picture. "

Two men were standing behind the tall walls adjacent to the gardens, witnessing through a random peek-hole that sporadically were present on the niches.

The man who had made the crude comment turned with a sickly smile, and spoke to the other standing next to him.

"What say, hmm? Deidara, it seems all we have to do is coax in some more chaos between them royalties… and this country is sure to fall splat on its knees. Look at them at it, how sweetly scandalous. I bet anything that the prophecy in that scroll is true… Ksingard is, surely to fall. "

The second voice rose with suppressed panic.

"Voice 'down', see, Hidan. I only told you about this scroll, because I 'need' a partner in this, can't do it alone… we can't afford to have that priest overhear us… or anyone overhearing us for that matter… "

"Oh sure, sure. "

As the two men proceeded to back away from the halls, Deidara spoke up in a nostalgic voice.

"Anyhow, wasn't that a fine catch? Now, I didn't think we'd see such a grand show when all we were doing was meeting for a small discussion… Who'd have thought the prince to make such a rash move? Now that he's kissed the girl at least, it would surely end in bed. It always did, before. "

"Now, maybe not even in bed, maybe on the floor, if the girl is up for it. "

They chuckled with all the lewdness of a man with his needs.

The envoy Deidara spoke up again.

"When Ksingard's 'peace' falls, I'd love to be there, watching it all. "

"I'll say. "

They cut in to the massive paths that led to the information dome, the cool night air fast on their skins.

Suddenly, Hidan broke into a wicked grin, as if he had thought up the most ingenious idea ever.

"Hmm… say, should we give Yamato a call? He'd be great help. "

"Perhaps. "

--

(bloodiedsugs's words on DP-

Right... this became too serious in just like, two sessions, lol.

But the plot's rigged up, and it's set to go... it's going to take too long if I take the time to be witty ad funny T.T

Can't be helped, sorry about that, and by the way, since you all want it so much, I've decided to put the ItaHina a bit faster than scheduled… even if it might strain the plot a little.

So, please don't hit me if I don't include 'too' much of the Sasuhina and itahina, I'm seriously trying ….(really!)

Bear with me)


	17. The royal scandals

--

**DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals**

**CH2- _Kingdom of Lies_**

**(Session #3-The royal scandals)**

--

(Cydia, Ksingard, palace court militia dome, training hall)

"Do you really want to know about Yamato and Prince Sasuke's relationship? "

Naruto nodded vigorously at the young general, who flipped his head back in a rested leisurely manner.

"I guess, you should know this if you're going to stay here. It's taboo to talk of this matter, so if you're smart…"

Here, General Shikamaru gave Naruto that one-of-a-kind smirk again, his index finger jabbing at neck in a slicing motion.

"…you'd keep quiet, that mouth of yours. Deal? "

Naruto nodded vigorously, his blonde hair whipping about, if not a little too foolishly enthusiastic about the whole matter. The general shrugged as if to indicate 'here we go', and starting speaking:

"There's something that Ksingard's been keeping a secret for a while…"

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

An hour later, Naruto crashed into the room in a horrified daze.

In his hurry to get the news through, he didn't notice Jiraiya was sitting up calmly on the marble floor, either meditating or praying—he assumed the priest was piss-drunk again and passed out.

"Siiirrr!! "

"I'm not sleeping!! "

Jiraiya shot up and was half way into strangling his apprentice, until he saw how agitated Naruto was.

"Abdu…Naruto? You look… agitated. "

That was an understatement.

"We have to get out… we have to get OUT!!... wait,say, since when did you pray? "

Jiraiya frowned at the sudden change in tone and subject.

"…I happen to be a priest. "

Naruto giggled hysterically, then suddenly grabbed onto the Regalus priest's robes and hissed through clamped teeth:

"We, need, to, get, out! "

--

(Central City of Ksingard, Royal Palace Dome, dinner hall)

"Little boy, come here. "

Deidara had changed from his envoy gear, immediately into a novelty of a robe he'd bought as a souvenir while he was down at Hisvaly last summer, navy, which was a color rarely seen on envoys. The dinner hall was almost empty, due to it being an unlikely hour for dining. Here, he had found the perfect candidate for unfolding his plan.

He was faintly aware that he sounded much like a pedophile, but this was his best shot at a disguise.

He couldn't take the chance of having people know what he was about to do.

"Yes, sir? "

The boy was in the attire of an assistant messenger, with an somewhat sullen slant in his eyes—no doubt, Shino's little cousin brother.

"You are to repeat what I tell you, to everyone at court you know. "

Deidara attempted to make his voice as sugar coated and different from his normal voice as possible… it was most likely that a few court domes away, Hidan was planting yet another seed of gossip within the information sector, practically much the same thing as Deidara was doing.

The boy, who had taken in the orders as placidly as he could, raised a hand in inquisition:

"There's a problem, sir? "

Deidara was starting to get impatient.

"What is it. "

"…I only know the messengers at court sir, so I can only tell them. As you can see, I'm …"

The boy gestured at his robes, and Deidara tutted edgily.

"That's exactly what I want you to do, fool. "

--

(North of Ksingard central city (Cydia), Hyuuga residence, third wing)

"Hyuuga Hinata, what is the meaning of this?! "

Hinata was confronted by her livid, furious father as soon as she walked back into the Hyuuga residence. Next to the fuming general Hiashi stood Neji, also beside himself with rage as well as perplexed at the situation.

"F…father? Neji? "

She was confused, as she had come home immediately after her little kiss with the prince… her cheeks were pink and she tried to conceal it.

Was that why they were mad? But how could they know?

"No, you may not call me father, if all you would do if go out and throw yourself away like some cheap, street wh…"

"Uncle! "

Neji cut him off at the appropriate moment; even though he was mad, he wasn't about to let his cousin sister be deemed a whore by her own father.

"Uncle, if I may, I'll tell her. "

Hiashi stood his ground, as if to decline, but left with a disgusted grunt when Neji did not back away at his glare. The door slammed with perfect understanding that Hinata, was not the perfect daughter he had thought her to be.

Now Neji and Hinata stood alone in the middle of the room, stiff and rigid.

They stood looking at each other for a short moment.

Neji couldn't believe that his cousin, his supposedly sweet, young, and a tad bit gullible girl, would have gone ahead and done something only the lowest maids do in sheer desperation to rise in the hierarchy of the royal court.

If she had come back home crying, or at least agitated, he wouldn't have been this stunned, but she was too calm, her demeanor mild.

"We've heard, the entire court is talking about it. "

"…about w…what? "

"You. "

Neji stepped forward once, and Hinata backed out.

"…and the prince. "

So that was it, Hinata thought with horror. There was no way they could know, but they all knew that… she had kissed the prince? Was that why they were so mad?

"How could you let him?! "

"…k…kiss me? "

Neji barked out a curt laugh, and Hinata froze on the spot at his blunt sarcasm.

"Sure, only sweet innocent kisses. And of course, following, would be the bed? "

"What?! "

Neji was beside himself with fuming anger again by this time, his face twisted into a tortured grimace as he tried his best to not conjure the image of his sweet cousin sister in bed with that… that… tanned skin against white, blinding…

"God damn it, Hinata!! "

"B…but, he didn't, Neji?"

"This is not even disgraceful; it's an outright condemnation for our entire family! Our name!! "

"Neji, he didn…"

"Once the word spreads, the entire country would know about it!! Can't you even remember 'why' Prince Sasuke was so damned infamous back then?! Was and still is?! 'Every' goddamned person in this forsaken country took heart to the fancy gossip that slipped out of the court's fancy-arse doors, and see where that got him!! "

She couldn't get a word in edgewise.

"Neji!! "

"…and to think, to think!! Even for a prince this is a disgr… what? "

Hinata took a deep breath and quickly came out with it before Neji took off from where he'd stopped and carried on with another harangue.

"He didn't bed me. "

"…what? "

"He…didn't bed me. "

Neji looked so bewildered and out of place, that in some other circumstances, Hinata would have thought of her poor cousin as adorable, endearing. However, she still had a point to make.

It was only so much her ears could take for the moment; he had been hollering at her from two steps away.

"I'm still a virgin!! "

She shouted that part a tad too loud, and the servants outside dusting in the hallways jumped in their own skins. Neji himself was stunned into stillness, and he stood stagnant, as if stuck in a pudding.

"But… what is this talk, this rumor going around the court?

"W…what rumor?! "

"T…that…"

In his frustration to deliver the bad news, Neji adopted Hinata's custom-made figure of speech—her stuttering.

"Everyone is talking about it… that the prince 'had' you, this evening. "

Hinata was speechless; only an hour had passed since her kiss with the prince, and already… the entire court knew about it.

No, not her kiss, that wasn't even the focus. The main focus was on a event that didn't even occur.

Who was to blame?

While they stood again silent, distractedly looking at each other in perplexed alarm, a servant knocked on the door, a nervous rapping.

"Excuse me, a thousand apologies for interrupting…. But if I may; the king requires you, Hinata sama, to be present at the discussion halls right away, to... to…"

The servant was apparently a young girl who didn't know better, and quietly mumbled the last words so that both Neji and Hinata did not catch it. As the young estine sentry was about to ask the servant to speak up, the door flung open on its own accord.

There stood Hiashi, who seemed to have been there all along, speaking grim-faced:

"The king wants a check-up on you Hinata, to see if you're clean. "

--

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), Royal court main hall)

"She is still… clean. "

The wizened physician announced apathetically, handing his 'instruments' to the standby medic Kabuto.

There was a ripple from the court officers present at the news. General Hiashi was relieved, but also stiff with anger at the outragedness of it all; having a young girl examined in front of all these people? Yes, there were curtains, but that was not the point.

King Itachi cast an impassive glance at Sasuke, who was smirking victoriously with his arms crossed, apparently ready to mock the entire court for being so dim-witted about the issue. He had thrown an expensive porcelain vase at the messenger who had brought him news of him bedding the girl; ridiculous, what was this court thinking?

Itachi remained his composure, turning around slowly towards the court girl who seemed to be half deranged with shame at being 'examined' publicly.

'Let's see, shall we, little brother, who'd have the last laugh. '

"You may leave. "

Still red as a tomato, Hinata whipped off the room, face-down, her robes flipping past her as she indelicately ran out the mahogany door. Neji was about the run out after her, but Shino restrained the rookie estine sentry from carrying out the rash act—it was impossible to leave without the king's assent.

"Well then, that's good. She's still available. "

At this three necks snapped up at the same precise moment—General Hiashi, Neji and prince Sasuke.

Yes, the teenage fuck-up had done it again.

"Y…your majesty? May I ask, if I'm not going overboard… what exactly you mean by… Hinata being available? "

General Hiashi questioned, taking a tense rigid stance. The king stared patronizingly down at him from his throne as if the general had asked what time it was, or some other mundane trivial question.

"I was thinking. If Sasuke should marry Fleorte's princess, then at least this court's new queen should be a girl from Ksingard. Don't you think? "

The crowd murmured again; prince Sasuke being engaged to Fleorte's princess, that was news too, but for the moment:

"…queen…You don't mean Hinata?! "

"Why not. Or does this mean you have an objection to my decision, Hiashi? "

King Itachi looked so emotionless about the whole matter, that the entire court would have believed him if he had told them he was joking.

But he didn't say so.

Even Hidan was beside himself in pure alarm—the ever so volatile teenage fuckup of a king had done it again.

Hidan and Deidara's initial plan had been to mount up the scandals between prince Sasuke and the General's daughter, until word got out to the civilians that the bastard prince was bedding a court officer's girl even though he was engaged to the Fleorte's princess. 'Then', they would have pinched words to Fleorte and Arudan to go for the kill while the country was buzzing with the news of yet another disgraceful scandal within the royal court… Deidara had naturally assumed the country would feel antipathy towards the current sovereignty, therefore, making it all the easier to go through the transition period of switching the ruling power.

They were already setting up negotiations between the other countries, attempting to use the priest's scroll to gain some power themselves, hopeful over, let's say, at least one of the countries after Arudan had taken over the rest of the little ones, since it seemed as if Arudan would be the next Ksingard.

But king Itachi had ruined it all… well.

"You, fucking bastard!!

General Kakashi shifted uneasily from behind; this was not going to go down well with Sasuke, he could tell.

"This is a public discussion Sasuke, behave. "

"You're doing this on purpose, to get back at me, aren't you? "

The prince was half hissing, and his canines were visible as his lips curled back in fury.

"I'm only being reasonable here, Sasuke. It's a proposal, and you have no right to vehemently turn it down so; it is I who have the choice to decline or accept here, not you. "

General Kakashi scanned the room out of the corner of his eyes, searching for someone capable of cooling down the prince's anger… but the person he was looking for, General Shikamaru, was not present.

Now where would he be?

"Of course, your fucking majesty, the king. You have the decision. "

The prince stood stiff, one shoulder hitched lower than the other.

"Like I would give her up. "

"You're already engaged, if I should remind you, little brother. "

That blew his fuse.

Prince Sasuke leered irately at the king as he spat on the floor with disdain, then he stormed out of the hall in rage.

The court officers were staring grimly at each other; this was no good at all. One rogue prince was well enough, but having a king and a prince against each other for one measly girl… might as well break havoc into the country with that demon boy's arm.

Hidan grinned triumphantly from the sidelines.

When King Itachi had announced that he had thoughts of wedding Hinata, that General Hiashi's daughter, he had stopped Hidan and Deidara's plan from working out.

But.

Instead, he had unintentionally made ground for the biggest royal scandals to land on these courts since his father had taken the concubine.

And it was between his own bastard brother and himself.

Even better.

--

(bloodiedsugs's words on DP-

I don't know about you guys, but this is my favorite session of DP yet…

Phew, finally over 100 reviews, thank you!

I really want to apologize over the inconsistency of the mood in DP- like, it switches from comedy to drama way too fast… I'll try to tone down the glitch.

And… may the ItaHina begin. Lmao.

PS: the word 'clean'? It might confuse some people, so I'll elaborate—it can mean that you're a virgin. Lol. So like, she's clean equals to she's a virgin. Capisce?

PPS: oi, and guess who the bratty princess of Fleorte prince Sasuke is engaged to. lol

Bear with me.)


	18. Fractures and Fissures

--

**DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals**

**CH2- Kingdom of Lies**

**(Session #4- Fractures and Fissures) **

--

(Cydia, Ksingard, palace court militia dome, training hall)

"Ks…Ksingard's…"

"Naruto? "

Naruto was heaving, his breath stuck in his throat in croaky gasps. His hands were still rudely enough clutching at Jiraiya's robes from Regalus… the robes that were in danger of being torn off by Naruto's clingy hands.

The agitated assistant continued:

"Ksingard's the burial ground! That…genocide back in the days of…King something! Prince fuckwit's dad! The seal! What if it breaks?! "

Jiraiya cocked his head back at the flow of information that he did not quite know of. Actually he didn't understand a word; what genocide? What burial?… Naruto wasn't making it any easier, by rambling on without any consideration for his listener. He was panicking, as far as Jiraiya could see.

The rogue priest sighed, not wishing to know what trouble Naruto might get them both in by spilling this, what seemed to be a clandestine sort of info, something that only the info sectors in the court knew of. Who 'was' stupid enough to trust Naruto into keeping his mouth shut? He had enough troubles worrying over the lost red package than to think about this…

"I, need, to, leave! What if… what if my arm… this 'thing' wakens?! "

Jiraiya placed a large hand upon Naruto's shoulders as a mean to calm him down.

Actually, he was preparing to lie his ass off, wondering how far he could take it without letting it on to Naruto that he did actually know everything.

Also, he needed time before he could find out what Naruto had been rambling about, to check in the basis for his somewhat rash assertions.

"Naruto, don't worry. That thing in your arm is just a mediocre beast, just a tad touchy, and with the right training with that Yamato fellow, you just might be able to get rid of i…"

"You don't understand!! "

Naruto took a defiant step back, gripping his left shoulder

"'This', isn't just some little beast thingy… I swear… it's, it's! "

He halted, and held his sentence dangling in midair, not bothering to end it. He instead swerved his eyes to the painting on the wall, covered with elaborate calligraphy that he couldn't read.

"I… this…uh. "

"Yes? "

Jiraiya beamed down at his assistant's pale stricken face, feeling just a bit guilty for taking the piss. As he expected, Naruto didn't risk anyone, especially someone close to him, getting to know about the real identity of what thrived deep inside his arm.

Jiraiya understood the way Naruto had, over the years, learned to not trust people with his secret. He got the consequences straight away.

He gave up.

"…nevermind. "

--

(North of Ksingard central city (Cydia), Hyuuga residence, third wing)

"Hinata…Hinata?! "

Neji had been knocking on his cousin sister's doors for over an hour, and still she wouldn't come out. He understood completely why; she's been thoroughly exposed and humiliated in front of the entire court…all to prove that she's been innocent after all.

And as a bonus addition, the king's taken a queer interest in her, something she did not particularly wish for, especially in front of her father, and… the prince.

He was biting his lips raw; king Itachi had requested Hinata's presence, so it wasn't even a matter of her decision. It was either come out walking on her own two feet, or Neji hacking open the wooden doors with his katana and carrying her down to Itachi's lair.

God forbid it should come to that.

"Hinata!! "

"…do I have to go?"

A small voice timidly spoke out amidst the loud banging.

Neji immediately stopped his pounding and took a step back in surprise.

"…I… How did you know he requested you? "

The door creaked open, and a crestfallen Hinata plodded out, her face tear stricken and lips trembling. Her hair was in disarray, obviously from having torn at it while crying and her hands were literally shaking.

"It's…so obvious he would… he really hates prince Sasuke, doesn't he? "

Neji flinched at that, and quickly shoved his miserable cousin sister back into her room and closed the door behind him, lest anyone overheard her and reported for treason.

"Shtt… Hinata, it's not like that. "

"Yes it is! "

The young estine sentry quietly held back his words, for it's been quite a time since Hinata had so vehemently opposed to his words.

She continued between her sobs:

"I...I've been living in these courts since I was barely five years old Neji… and… and I've read almost all the history scrolls stored in the public annals sectors…not only Arudan, but Ksingard's as well. And you don't think I hear gossips? I…I know it's hard for them to even get along with each other… noting the family circumstances…but… this is so low! I bet King Itachi doesn't even like me, didn't even know about me until today! "

Neji frowned, not wishing to cause any more conflict, but his loyal part clashing with his wish for peace.

"Well. From what I've heard… it's prince Sasuke who loathes King Itachi, not vice versa. "

Hinata flared up.

"You saw him today! You… you know I've been friends… if I can call him that, with the prince for quite a time… King Itachi knew exactly how to aggravate prince Sasuke. "

"Yes, and about that Hinata, why? Why does he keep you so near?

"…what? "

The estine sentry frowned yet again, knowing full in his heart that this would upset his cousin sister head on. He carried on anyways, because even if he stopped, he knew she would implore him until he told her.

"What if he's keeping you near for pleasure's sake? The only use he ever had of girls before, was entirely physical, forget platonic love...Sure, he can't just go ahead and bed a court general's girl, especially someone like Uncle, but he cou…"

She slapped him.

And after she did so, she was so stunned by her own actions that she just stood and started bawling, face hidden in hands and shoulders jerking violently, half in shame from what had happened today, and half from pointless sorrow on her part. The day had not been exceptionally good to her—it had been cruel, more likely. Neji raised a hand to his reddened cheek.

It hadn't hurt at all.

Neji awkwardly held her in his arms, dreading the time he would have to mop up her tears and drag her to King Itachi's quarters.

She spoke up tearfully between gasps:

"…I'll go, but…only because… I feel guilty for slapping you…and... because if I don't go, you might get in trouble…and, it's...it's 'not' because it's the king's orders! "

She sounded defiant again, head held up high and lips bitten. Neji nodded once.

"I understand. "

Hiashi did not say a word as they both left the house in full dress code.

They rode horses through on out the residence, crossed the huge bridge that joined mainland to outer, rode on through inner Cydia to the royal palace courts. Neji mounted off and assisted Hinata in climbing off the horse. They both started to walk towards the garden path, the ones that led to the royal quarters, the domes that naturally loomed larger over others.

But before even they reached King Itachi's quarters, a black sleeved arm shot out from the dark, halting them both.

--

(Central city of Ksingard, east of the Royal Palace Gardens)

"Don't go. Don't take her there. "

It was a pale sallow prince Sasuke who spoke menacingly under the shadows of the willows, his black robes billowing in the night wind. The estine sentry took a double take—prince Sasuke was determined indeed, to stop his brother from getting what he wanted.

Neji grimaced.

What should he do? He was only an estine sentry, and a rookie one at that.

Neji swallowed back his doubts and fears after a few moments of thinking; it was his cousin sister after all, and kings ranked higher than a bastard prince.

"I apologize for my rudeness, but it's the king's wishes. "

Neji sensed the distraught Hinata stiffening beside him, her head down and her manner meek. The prince scoffed even before his words were over.

Neji tried once more.

"Prince Sasuke, the king…"

"Well, fuck him. You, Hyuga. If you're sane enough, you should know to not take her to him. "

It was Hinata to looked up in surprise this time. Her stuttering returned in vengeance.

"P…prince sasuke. "

The prince let out an impatient sigh, a side of his lips curling up in distaste.

"Maybe it's because I'm the infamous one that no one really cares what my…efficient brother does. "

He took a few steps towards Neji, who levelly stared back with an apprehensive expression on his elegant face. Prince Sasuke smirked cynically.

"Do you for real think that Itachi's never had a girl before? Do you seriously believe, Hyuga, that she'd be any safer with him than she was with me? "

Neji stood his ground.

"It's what the king wishes, I'm afraid, prince Sasuke. "

"One day, you'll regret that god damned loyalty of yours. Where would all that dogged loyalty go if this country should be gone? Who would you stand for if for instance, Itachi should be gone with no heir?"

Neji spoke up slowly, thoughtfully.

"…I guess, I would stand for you, prince Sasuke. Since you are the next in line. "

The prince did not seem to have expected this answer, and eyes Neji in a new curious light. His eyes narrowed in on the estine sentry's set, staunch, honest face.

He grunted in impatience, averting his eyes to the walls that kept him enclosed in shadows. He spoke grudgingly, obviously regretting having to say this:

"…go."

"...pardon? "

"I said fuc...go. But be careful. You should be on the lookout "

Both Hinata and Neji stood in a daze, until Neji broke through it and politely bowed.

"Good night, prince Sasuke. Thank you. "

As the prince watched the two figures disappear gradually into the dark, he muttered absentmindedly.

"Pray tell Itachi's not in the mood for girls tonight... "

--

(Cydia, Ksingard, palace court militia dome, training fields))

General Kiba stabbed his sword into the middle of the grassy patch; the training fields were deserted for now, it being 4am.

He bore down on the sword, as if he was determined to make a permanent crack on the ground. So consumed in his thoughts he was that he did not sense Kabuto walking up behind him.

The medic spoke in a worried tone.

"Kiba… you still awake at this hour? "

"…Kabuto? "

The medic ran a tired hand through his untied hair, which hung about his face in stiff tufts. He peered at the red haired general as if answers were written upon his face.

"What is worrying you? I can tell, I've rarely seen you this agitated. Well, not since General Asuma reprimanded you for stealing a peach back when you were in Fleorte. Well. That was something. A demotion for a peach. "

The amusing anecdote made the comment end in a lighter tone, but Kabuto sensed something was coming.

General Kiba let out a short laugh, acknowledging the wit on Kabuto's part, but returned to being stony faced immediately after. He turned to face the waiting medic and spoke up quietly:

"Listen to this, and read between the lines. General Kakashi issued a new training program for all the military squads, not only his first division army, but second, third and fourth as well. They're merging the army, Kabuto, each and every one playing a part. "

The weary general raised his eyes to gouge his friend's reaction.

"What do you think this means? "

Kabuto thoughtfully gazed into the pierced grassy patch for a moment, and then his eyes lit up in alarm. His head shot up and he inquired the question he had been dreading to ask:

"…Has the Readen trails been barricaded yet? "

The general grimly shifted his head once, sideways.

"Not yet, but could be, soon enough. If that happens, we'll be sure; war is imminent. It's already looming upon us. Isn't that so…"

General Kiba pulled out his sword and tossed it away resentfully. He spoke cuttingly:

"Shit… and I thought Ksingard was finally having its peace. "

"…it's always the inner conflicts it seems, that shakes Ksingard's pillows. At least, it used to be. "

Kabuto philosophically lamented.

General Kiba nodded as he retrieved his sword and proceeded to place back into its sheath. The general spat onto the grass and placed a hand on his head, a bitter smile playing on his lips.

"…I don't even want to think about the day when we not only have to think about the inner conflicts, but the outer ones as well. That's when it gets complicated….and. You're going to get busy. The medical sector, the whole lot of you are going to get real busy."

Kabuto silently clenched his fist.

He attempted a wry smile at his weary friend.

"…I guess…not as busy as you would be, Kiba. "

He did not bother to add, '…if the war starts.'

--

(Heart of Arudan, Temple Regalus, hall of relaxation)

"Oh…crap…crap! Ino! "

"Shizune? "

Ino lumbered into the room, half spilling over the tea from a various assortments of cups on her tea tray.

"Genma just called in. "

Ino frowned while viciously slapping at the tea-streaked fabric of her Regalus robes.

"For tea? Tell him to go to a teahouse, the tea supply's running low… when 'are' they going to trade with Ksingard again? I really want some quality tea t…"

Ino spied the look on Shizune's face and dropped the tray.

Nothing shattered, but the tea soaked into the tatami mats fanned systematically out on the floor.

It was Ino who spoke first.

"Don't tell me the war's starting! Is king Gaara crazy?! "

"Shtt. No way, but we can't be sure of anything now… the only thing is… if…"

She frowned thoughtfully, a dark look spreading on her face.

"If the war start's, there's in no way Naruto and Jiraiya can come back safely. The Readen trail's going to be blocked for sure, for a long while if not forever."

--

(bloodiedsugs's words on DP-

At least, the story progresses.

DP takes so much time to write, because if I miss out on even one scene, it all falls into pieces, and the plot flops. I'll try to balance the plot, SasuHina, ItaHina altogether, if it's even possible.And if it bothers you that DP isn't funny anymore…um. Sorry, I thought I warned you guys about it. It will have its funny moments, though, cuz I'm a sucker for that. (and comments!)

Oh, and how to read Ksingard? It's pronounced 'sighing+ard'.

PS: I was actually going to elaborate why Yamato hates Sasuke so much, but I decided it was a story for later times… it weaves in with the later plot.

PPS: Do you want the war or not? lol

PPPS: I change my mind, lol. I like this chappie the best. It took me a long time to write it.

Bear with me)


	19. Dividing Interests

-------

**DEATHPLAY- the royal scandals**

**CH2- Kingdom of Lies**

**(Session #5-Dividing Interests)**

-----

_(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Longevities)_

She has been to the royalty dome only twice in her entire life, and both experiences were close to, if not entirely, intoxicatingly overwhelming.

The first had been back when she was quite young, and Hiashi had taken her to show her a glimpse of what royalty life was like—extravagant beyond imagination. The second had been that time with Prince Sasuke, the time when he'd deliberately driven her hand against his wounds, painting her skin scarlet.

Now, this would be her third time visiting the royal grounds, as in being allowed to actually go inside.

There were a few significant differences between a prince's dorm and a king's dorm. The king's dome was big enough to swallow the prince's. And it had sentries lined up in every corner of the halls, up to the point where Hinata felt like she was intentionally being watched.

And so she was.

"…please don't leave me. "

"I have to, Hinata… remember, I'm in no position to even enter. The only reason I'm not being hauled off is entirely due to King Itachi's…benevolence. "

Neji cringed as he said so because he saws his cousin sister visibly crumpling under the glowing candlelight. He was wavering; he actually thought of asking to stay, but that alone would have been enough to get him off his position as an estine sentry, not to mention the shame that would bring to the Hyuugas…

But by god, he'd see to it that Itachi didn't 'take' her… not today, not ever, if possible.

He kept recalling the prince's uncharacteristically dulled eyes as he warned them both—pray tell Itachi was not in the mood.

"Look, here comes the servants… they're going to escort you up to his quarters, but without me. I have to leave… I'm sorry. "

Neji awkwardly placed a hand on Hinata's dismal shoulder, and gripped it once. He leaned down to whisper one last time before the servants got too close.

"But don't you dare let him take advantage of you… I swear, I will kill him if he does, I swear I would. "

Hinata did not look up, but nodded meekly in response. It was a huge threat. It could get him killed. Neji continued:

"I bet the prince would too. "

This got her to look up, a new sort of light entering her formerly lackluster eyes.

It glowed lavender.

"Is my lady ready? Your majesty is waiting upstairs… he required your presence. "

The head of the servants spoke gently, her eyes cast down in a courteous manner. Hinata allowed herself to be removed from Neji's hands and slowly walked into the dimmed hallways, accompanied by a throng of servants. If she had turned back, he would have seen Neji standing at the exact spot she left him, looking indecisive and hesitant as he put a hand by his sword sheath.

---

_(Central city of Ksingard, east of the garden, fountains)_

"How damning this is….and I thought envoys were 'supposed' to be on time…"

Hidan swore under his breath, grumbling as he paced the darkened grounds of the royal court. It was a space near the palace fountains where no one except for perhaps secret couples visited, since even though the fountains themselves looked magnificent, they sprouted water a little too enthusiastically. Hence, soaking any passerbys.

Hidan had placed himself near the darkened forests that let to the gardens opposite the palace domes, thus, clearing off from most of the water while hiding himself considerably effectively. He had been waiting for about ten minutes, and was getting incredibly impatient.

Suddenly, a noise from behind his back. His head jerked up, and spotting the hem of the beige robes the envoy he was waiting for liked to don in the evenings, he immediately started to speak:

"Is that you Deidara? Well this is just about the damned best day so far… that bastard kid had better watch himself proper from now on, considering…"

"Yosh… Hello, Hidan san. I'm not Deidara. "

Awkward pause.

A lanky figure stepped out from the thick bushes, an herb cigarette burning from the edge of his lips. His trademark katanas clacked jerkily as his moved, all three of them, jangling about in their leather corded sheaths. In the slightly brighter light away from the drooping willows, the robes were black, streaked with an ivory hem.

Hidan could have sworn his heart stopped then.

"…G…General Shikamaru? What are you…doing in the grounds at this hour? Eh…I thought…"

He was dying inside; fuck, this prodigy kid was friends with the bastard prince…but could he have heard? It was hard to know, just looking at that blank impassive bored expression on the general's face.

"Well, whatever you thought was wrong, it seems, hmm? "

The young general smiled amiably, the cigarette crumbling in his mouth. He spat it out quite nonchalantly, scuffing out the small light with the soles of his leather sandals. Watching this, Hidan frowned for the shortest of time; in his opinion, it was a huge mistake on the military sector's part to have elected such a… 'kid', no matter what a prodigy he was with swordsmanship. Nara Shikamaru was 17 for fuck's sake, and Hidan had better things to do than bow to another arrogant teenage asshole…like conspire with Deidara for example.

"Uh… have you been training…general? "

"Hmm. No. Just patrolling. "

Hidan swallowed with some difficulty. Patrolling, eh? So security truly must have gotten tighter... things must be bad between Arudan and Ksingard.

The general seemed to be waiting for something to said, but only silence ensued. Hidan gruffly coughed into his fist, wondering furiously what he could say to get out of this situation as quickly as possible, as quick as his wits could take him. This kid was trouble, there was no doubt about that…not in the way prince Sasuke or King Itachi was…it was a little more subdued. But still, definitely trouble.

As if he did not notice the info master getting more agitated by the second, Shikamaru looked up at him with a lazy deadpan expression. But his eyes were inquiring. He spoke quietly.

"So… I was just curious, Hidan san, about that little talk about a, bastard ki…"

The info master started to laugh out loud with just about the naturalness of a plastic fruit. Very convincing.

"Oh, hahah, ha. That was nothing really…eh…hmm. I was talking about…my niece. Terrible piece of work. Horrid kid. Ha…he's…he's horrid. "

"Ah. Niece. Family. "

Shikamaru nodded earnestly, and Hidan almost rolled his eyes at the eager tone.

Kids will be kids.

General Shikamaru adored kids for some reason, mainly since he hardly had anyone his age to play with, or even time to play. He probably had more subordinates than his friends and families combined. He seemed to accept that petty excuse. Hidan sighed expressively and prepared to say his 'goodnights'.

Too bad his small meeting with Deidara would have to be postponed for…

"Hidan san. "

"Eh? "

A blinding flash of metal.

Blood was suddenly trickling down Hidan's sallow face.

His eyes rounded, and his raised a shaky hand to touch his cheek. It was bleeding profusely.

He could not even believe it at first.

The crazy prodigy had thrown a fucking dagger at him, and it had grazed his cheek.

It struck the tree behind him and stood stiff, embedded. Hidan just stared at Shikamaru for a moment, his mouth hanging open. The general's tone was cutting this time, his childlike lazy tone gone for the moment.

"I advise you not to slander the prince in any possible way in court…or at least, when you're in my proximity. It irks me. "

Hidan could not respond.

"Next time you commit treason like that…"

Shikamaru languidly gestured towards the dagger in the tree.

"Believe me. It wouldn't be a dagger next time. "

Twenty meters away, from behind a tree, a certain envoy called Deidara crept away, muttering with a certain frenzy about the 'bloody court going completely mad'.

-----

_(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royalty dome, Hall of Longevities)_

Hinata did not know if she was lucky, or unlucky.

For some unfathomable reason, King Itachi was fully dressed and up and about with no intentions at all to lie on his huge mahogany bed. Hinata was shaken at first at the sight of him, dreading that he'd be drunken or worse, in a feisty mood, but he wasn't so at all. Apart from the fact that he was completely sober and upright, he was also quite business-like. It was almost unnerving.

"…to make things straight, I'll state this from the beginning; I only requested your presence, because I was curious. "

He spoke as if he was informing his court officers about a trading complication with Rushvarde; formal, yet imperious.

"…curious…y…your majesty, I…"

He cut through Hinata's stutters with a small raise of his hands, a vaguely irritated look crossing his flawless face. At this, Hinata simply let herself go limp with ease; thank god…perhaps, of course though…King Itachi had his pick of the girls in court, why would he want her? She might keep her virginity for another night.

Unaware of the thoughts that were rushing through her mind, Itachi continued with an impassive tone.

"You, are an anomaly. I've never seen Sasuke so smitten, you and that boy, the one from Arudan. "

From Arudan…oh. He meant Naruto.

Hinata ever so slightly lowered her eyes and thought about the blonde haired boy who seemed so careless and rowdy, a good natured goof. And she compared the image to the brooding but oddly enough, kind prince that everyone seemed to love to gossip about. It was a very contrasting picture, yet comforting.

"Th…They're both very nice company…your majesty. "

She spoke the truth, yet there was a sudden gleam in Itachi's eyes, as if he's been waiting to say something the entire night. He approached her suddenly.

She flinched at the movement; he was so close to her now, she could smell the faint scent of hyacinths… hyacinths?! Hinata blinked, feeling a rush of sudden nostalgia; that was the smell of prince Sasuke. Did it mean they used the same kind of bathing oils?

But of course, she realized now. They were brothers, though they seemed so alienated from each other. She realized with another pang, the irony of having the only similarities between the two brothers the scent, not rapport, not personality…though they did look alike. The only things that showed they were part of the same fold.

Itachi spoke up again after a short interval.

"Even Sasuke? "

"…the p,prince? "

She noted his eyes were identical to the prince's onyx ones, except that two grooves ran diagonally from the perch of his nose, spanning out to his cheeks.

"Yes…you think Sasuke is good companion? "

Hinata paused; was this a trick question?

She had been seething the entire time up to the point when she actually came here, thinking King Itachi was a dirty old slimebag for deliberately aggravating his brother who was already so incensed… maybe not. He's been decent so far, and he seemed to have no inclination of suddenly deflowering her or harming her.

But she knew the king did not have the most fabulous relationship with his famed, no, infamous brother; what should she say?

Because she did not know how to do any other way, she told the truth.

"Yes…he's good company. "

"You must be the first of 'your' kind to think so. Unless, you're happy enough to get some ass from royalty. "

Hinata blushed magenta, shakily blinking at the shrewd way Itachi had just put what most girls at court usually did. She did not know king Itachi could even utter the word….'ass'.

It seemed too indecent and coarse a type of language for a king to use; too colloquial.

"…I…uh…"

"…do you think he'd make a fine king? "

"E…eh? "

Hinata looked up, vaguely aware that her demeanor was not that of a finished lady, but more like a child that did not know the answer to a question. King Itachi, however, did not seem to mind this, for he continued without skipping a beat, a fervent look in his eyes. He had moved away from her and was pacing the room yet again—likely an idiosyncrasy—and did not seem particularly interested in what Hinata looked like.

"Sasuke…I mean. Do you think he'd make a good king? "

"I…I don't know…your majesty, b…but. But you're the king. "

She was confused at the fast change of topic. Hinata still spoke earnestly, already somehow able to forget the lavish silk dappled duvets, the rose wood chests and various jade pendants that decorated the vast room.

He glanced at her, wearing a curious expression.

"I am for now. But I have the choice, don't I? Especially since there's a perfectly capable heir next in line. "

Hinata blanched.

"Y…you're not sick your majesty? I…is it bad? Malignant? N…no, you're going to die!"

Itachi stared at her incredulously, for her honest face was suddenly alight with terror, and then laughed out loud, a noise that stunned the servants that stood outside. King Itachi had not been especially merry these days, and he wasn't exactly known for his mirth. They wondered; what was it that the girl had that made both, the king and the prince, laugh?

"No…though by god, I do wish that was rather the case. It would be quite noble, far apart from this intention I have right now… yes."

He looked up, a small cringe in his brow as if he was amused and vexed at the same time. She quickly looked down, blushing; they even looked alike when they smiled. It was unsettling, but at the same time, heart wrenchingly charming.

The next time she looked up, he was right in front of her, his hand slowly balancing her chin on his callused fingers. It gently beckoned her upwards, until she was staring into his face. Neji's white face and the prince's angry one slowly wafted past her eyes, and she recalled them worrying about the king bedding her, taking advantage of her. It reminded her that this king could do whatever he wished to her, and never suffer any consequences, simply because he was the king.

Itachi's other hand was leisurely clasping on to the hem of her robes.

"You are amusing. Perhaps that's why Sasuke enjoys your presence so much... God knows how long he's lived without laughter. "

She was uncertain why she was not afraid.

----

(Ksingard central city (Cydia), royal guest hall, left wing)

'Tsunade must be here…I must consult her about the package…doggone it, how could I have lost it?! She'll eat me alive, the crazy witch! '

Jiraiya was swirling in his own pool of misery, having lost one of the most crucial keys to making peace with destiny. He even attempted slandering Tsunade, in hope of making it seem as if it was all her fault—it wasn't exactly working out that well.

He was on the floor, tearing out his alarming bush of white hair when the door to his room suddenly crashed open with a fury similar to the kind he saw on beasts out in the wilderness.

"Agh, Sensei shut up!! "

Thinking it was solely Jiraiya that was making the racket, Naruto threw his pillow at Jiraiya—the boy had gotten insolent over the duration of the stay—but missed and accidentally hit the figure that was standing beyond the open door…full in the face.

"…fucking dobe!!"

Prince Sasuke's enraged voice.

Naruto jumped out of his bed and landed on the marble floor, his mouth hanging open in the manner of a cow chewing its cud. Jiraiya sprung up as well, wrought out from the sudden intrusion, looking wildly at the clock that hung from the walls. Check; it was 1 am. He hollered at Naruto's half-asleep backside:

"Eh? What is prince fuckwit doing here Naruto? "

The prince looked up incredulously at the rogue priest, whose eyes flipped wide, realizing the reason he'd just committed. Naruto blanched, grimacing.

"Is that what you call me out of my earshot, dobe? "

Giggling weakly, Naruto stood up from the cool floor, cracking his neck a few times to see if he had suffered any lasting injuries…check; not.

"Well…tis no better then the profanity that spews out of your mouth at the end of each sentence, especially to me… ha. "

Naruto promptly shut his mouth at the incensed look Sasuke gave him. Jiraiya looked merely curious, though lightly disgruntled. After a short awkward moment, prince Sasuke averted his eyes and muttered softly.

"I need your help. "

Naruto spluttered.

"…you need 'my' help?! "

The prince glared harder, if that was even possible. Naruto flinched and scuttled to his bed, eyeing the prince warily.

"Uh… I'm still practicing, but I know how to slay demons…so…I can defend myself…"

"Brilliant deduction, dobe. Do I fucking need to remind you that I have to say one word and one third of the royal army would be summoned to stuff your ass with relish and roast you on a damn golden pole? "

Jiraiya spluttered, and Naruto turned acid green.

Ass stuffed with relish. Golden pole.

Ksingard was…kind of odd with their penalties, weren't they?

"Brillian…no, no. I meant…uh, what am I supposed to do for you anyways? "

Jiraiya spied on the prince's livid face as he watched Naruto scratching his head gawkily, unable to guess what the prince needed. He nodded once to himself, recalling the rumors he heard from the messengers, about what had happened today. That Hinata girl and the king, and how the prince had reacted.

In all, it was interesting enough, but Jiraiya really had better things to do than assist a raging prince.

"Ah…prince Sasuke, I apologize for the inconvenience, but I'm afraid my services ar…"

"I don't need you, old man. "

Jiraiya turned an ash grey at the phrase 'old man', while Naruto whooped with laughter at the rogue priest's demise. But he soon ceased sprouting his mirth about when the prince strode towards him with a menace close to an axe murderer.

"You asked me what you need to do, correct? "

He reached out and grabbed Naruto's collar, jerking him forwards. He snarled.

"You're going to commit treason for me. "

---

(bloodiedsugs's….apologies:

I've put this on hiatus for… four months? Five months?

Sorry about that… it's back. Deathplay, the royal scandals is back.

(I'm kind of scared all my original readers went away, and there would be like 2 comments when I upload... but oh well. Lol, it's my fault anyways. )

PS: the funny is not completely gone…is it?

Bear with me. Though I'm intolerably late. )


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